Challenge Day
by The Gothic.Princess 101
Summary: AU Based on the MTV show "If You Really Knew Me". Challenge Day is coming to Jump City High. Six very different people are put together, and find out that they're more alike than they're different. And they also realize how precious life is. Rob/Rae
1. Challenge Day

**Thank you so much for venturing to my story. Hope you like it. I was watching the MTV show "If Your Really Knew Me", and I thought 'What if that happened to the Titans?' and thus, the plot was born. So I planned it out, and the story just came to me. I don't own the show nor the Titans, they're not mine and they never will be.**

**Rated M for language, adult situations. Anyways enjoy!**

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Challenge Day

The sun rose over Jump City and Raven Roth sat up indolently in her bed. She ran her fingers through her short black hair and her amethyst eyes fluttered opened. They scanned across her room for anything that might not be right. Everything was in array, and if a piece of dust were in the erroneous spot, she'd be aware of it.

She had another nightmare, so her pale skin was even paler, and she was coated in sweat. "Piece of shit," Raven huffed and hurled her pillow across the room. She generally has nightmares everynight, so it wasn't anything out of the ordinary.

Raven loathed mornings, and she detested school, but she is required to go. It's not that she's not smart; Raven is very intellect, witty, and cunning. It's just, she is opposed to all the rules, the duration of the school day, the time it starts, the amount of time between classes, and prom was completely meaningless and useless to her.

At school, Raven Roth would be deemed the gothic bully. She abides by her own rules, and whoever gets in her way, will be sent to the ER. She's notorious for her glare that was made to eradicate butterflies and annihilate rainbows. Nobody makes fun of Raven Roth. Every so often, somebody will gather up enough courage to, and she has no clemency on him or her whatsoever. Raven only smiles and laughs when she's with her brother, she scarcely cries, and she loves to threaten people.

Raven folded back her blankets and got out of bed to get prepared for school, but little did she know, today would change her life forever. The seventeen-year-old showered and put on denim skinny jeans, black converse, a tight black hoodie, and a metallic black head banned pushing her hair back, prior to going into the kitchen. Clad in jeans and a black 'Kiss my ass' tee, was her brother, preparing their usual herbal tea and toast. Neither of them were big eaters.

"Good morning," Raven greeted him blankly, sitting down at the table.

"Morning," he greeted her back monotonously, typical. Nicholas "Nick" Roth is Raven's twenty-one year old brother. Nick is the most unapproachable, intimidating, menacing, and daunting person in Jump City. He answers to no one, does whatever he wants, and if anyone even thinks about messing with him, they're dead meat. Nick doesn't cry, and barely shows any emotion. He laughs maybe five times a year, smiles on a good day, cracks witty jokes, and sarcastically insults people a lot. He's very clever and intellect, but also sly and crafty.

Nick sat down at the table, and handed Raven her breakfast. He has short black hair that naturally stands up in the front, and hazel green eyes. His pale skin is flawless, not a bump or a mole anywhere on his porcelain face. He's body is toned and slender, but not like a body builder by any means. Raven had to acknowledge that, altogether, he is very handsome. Girls are always following him around, sending him cards, asking him out, and trying to get his attention in any way possible. But he always ignores them or turns them down. He has major trust issues, and is very meticulous about who he lets into his life. However, he also says that he will know when he sees the right girl for him.

Nick eyed his sister, "Another nightmare?" he asked knowingly.

Raven nodded, "Yes, a bad one."

"Scale of one through ten?"

"Eight," Raven sipped her tea.

"What was it about? If you don't mind my asking." he questioned her, sipping his tea as well.

"I'd rather not to talk about it," Raven conveyed.

He nodded and continued eating his breakfast.

Nick and Raven have a very healthy brother and sister relationship. Both of them respect each other and their privacy. Nick is extremely protective over Raven, but he does acknowledge the fact that Raven can and will defend herself. He himself, taught her how to look after herself, and to always, continuously, and permanently, in any situation whatsoever, watch her back. Even though they do try to keep everything peaceful and harmonized, sometimes, they do argue. Very foul and spiteful things are said when this happens, but at the end of the day, they love each other anyways. However, with both of them loathing the whole 'showing emotions' concept, they _don't _talk about how they feel on any situation or just in general.

Simultaneously, they both turned and looked intently at the door. A few seconds later, someone knocked on it.

Raven and Nick enjoy saying that they have a sixth sense. Whenever something typical is about to happen, for instance, a phone ringing, they know. Moreover, when something terrible is going to happen, they get this unnerving creepy feeling that doesn't go away until the situation is over. Furthermore, it's like a sixth sense.

Raven stood up from the table and sauntered over to the door. She opened it, saw who was there, and slammed the door in her face prior to sitting back down at the table.

"Who was that?" Nick questioned, not even looking up.

"Another member of your fan club," Raven answered.

He nodded, and they finished eating breakfast, before they left and went out to Nick's car. He drove a black Ford F-150. Sometimes he lets Raven drive it, but not very often. He knows that she's not a reckless driver, but since he loves that truck and calls it his 'baby', he doesn't want to take any chances on something happening to it. It took him a year to save up enough money to buy it, since he's only the manager of a car repair shop, and spends the majority of his paycheck on bills. While Raven works a part time job at Fat Ass Burger, and spends her paycheck on her cell phone bill (she uses her cell for emergencies and to contact family members only) and utilities for the house.

Raven ripped the, "I love you Nick" sign off his windshield, and they got into the truck. The ride to school was always silent, seeing as neither of them is big on talking. The whole 'talking just for the fun of it' concept, wasn't an interest to either one of them.

After about five minutes of nothing apart from the sounds of the city, they pulled into the school's parking lot. The announcement board that stood right in front read: Challenge Day Today!

"What's challenge day?" Nick asked.

"Something stupid I'm sure," Raven got out of the car and reluctantly sauntered up to the school's main double doors. She went inside to see the same things she constantly saw on a regular basis, and sure enough, it was the same, old, and unchanged things. Situated in front of their group of lockers, are Richard "Dick" Grayson and the rest of his basketball robots. All of them togged up in their black and red varsity athlete jackets that read Titans on the back, with matching Air Jordans and jeans, typical. Moreover, they all had a basketball at hand, and Dick was spinning his on his finger, as usual. His stormy blue eyes full of joy, same as everyday, as he and his team have horseplay.

'_Typical lunkhead ball freaks,' _Raven reasoned as she moseyed past them, and moved onto the next clique. Posted up by the cheerleader's lockers, are Victor "Vic" Stone and the rest of his pigskin-chasing group. Each of them is sporting their black and red short-sleeved football jerseys, even if it was fifty degrees outside. All of them held a football, and most of them are hurling them around over people's heads.

'_Same old airhead team,' _Raven thought, as Kori Anders and her posse brusquely cross the hallway in front of her, as accustomed. Kori has taken the Homecoming Queen title for the past two years, and plans to be it for another additional two years. She is also the captain of the dance team. She had roughly six other girls in her clique; they are her 'supporters'. They do whatever she tells them to do. Nearly every girl in the school wanted to be friends with Kori, and every person knew her. She had her nose stuck in the air looking down on everyone. Strolling about a foot behind her, the supporters were doing the same. Her average length red hair is always flowing down her back, and her emerald green eyes are always shinning. However, in actuality, no one truly saw her beauty behind that stuck up I'm better than you attitude.

'_Nothing new about Malibu Barbie,' _Raven reasoned, as she rolled her eyes and sauntered past them, looking on to the next group. Adjoined to the haywire water fountains, showering anyone who got too close, is Garfield "Gar" Logan, and the rest of the idiotic fools. Gar is the leader of all the class clowns in the school. He taunts freshman and weird kids, and the rest of the group laughs and joins in. Gar wanted to 'look the part', so he added a lime-green streak to his short light-brown hair, which harmonized with his light-green eyes.

'_Idiots,' _Raven judged and continued moseying down the hall to see the outcast. Tara McCoy is sitting on the bench unaccompanied and uncomfortable. She has been at the school for roughly two months, and nobody really knows anything about her. She keeps to herself, and does not have any friends. She is sitting there hiding behind her lengthy blonde hair, with one of her bright blue eyes watching people walk by, as usual.

'_The outcast is normal, or at least her normal,' _Raven considered and continued down the hall to her locker. Her locker is spray painted black. She got an entire month of detention for doing it, but it was worth it. Now her locker definitely stands out, just as she does. She opened her locker and grabbed her history book out of it before slamming it shut, right as the bell rung.

She continued her daily-disinclined walk down the hallway, with her black backpack on one shoulder hanging low. She passed the rest of the school cliques, as she was accustomed to doing everyday. The band nerds, the skaters, the soccer team, the swim team, the Scholastics team, the stoners, the preps, the baseball team, the loners, the troublemakers, the cheerleaders, the video game addicts, the dance team, the teachers' pets, and the medieval times freaks. The same unchanged things like everyday.

Raven sauntered into her first period, history class. Situated on top of his desk throwing paper airplanes at people, is Garfield Logan. One other member of his clique is there, laughing at other people's misery. Dick Grayson is there, showing off his basketball tricks with two members of the team. Tara McCoy is there, sitting in the very back of the room, minding her own business.

Raven took her seat in front of where Dick Grayson sat. He was the closest thing she had to a friend, if you even want to call him that. He is always disturbing her and being a nuisance. She could not stand him, and wished everyday that he'd not talk to her.

Suddenly, Raven got a feeling, _'Duck,' _she thought to herself, and ducked down just in time to dodge the basketball that would have whacked her right in the head.

"Sorry Raven," Dick apologized when he came to get the ball, _"_I didn't see you there," he casually leaned against her desk. He smirked, and she shot him a death glare. She knew he did it on purpose.

"You asshole," Raven slammed her book down on his fingers, "Get the fuck away from me Dick_head_."

He wrenched his throbbing fingers from under her book, "Uh, ow," he said carelessly, as if it didn't hurt at all.

"Uh, Bye," Raven said bluntly, "And don't come back again."

The bell rung and he glared at Raven before he took his seat. The teacher, Mr. Simon, walked in.

"Take your seats please class," he told them in his nasal voice.

"What's crakalackin Mista S?" Gar asked sarcastically, as he sat down correctly in his seat.

"Mister Logan, I have told you time and time again, I don't understand your funky teenage talk," Mr. Simon sat on his desk and crossed his legs.

'_These people are so weird,' _Tara judged, tucking her blonde hair behind her ear.

'_I'm surrounded by cow manure,' _Raven thought, rolling her eyes and folding her arms across her chest.

"Now class," Mr. Simon continued, "Today will not be another normal school day. Today, something we'd like to call "Challenge Day" is coming to Jump City High. You will learn more about challenge day later. Now, you will be assigned in a group with five other students, and I didn't pick the groups, so don't complain to me. Posted on the billboard next to the door of every classroom, are the groups. The hosts will tell you when you need to be with them, so go look, and make your way to the gymnasium."

'_Just great,' _Raven got up and joined the high school students making their way to the list.

She fought threw the crowd and finally made her way to the front. _'Let's see,' _she thought, looking for her name, _'What lucky assfaces get to be in a group with me?' _She found her name on the list and read the surrounding names, _'Tara McCoy,' _she read mentally, _'Shit. Victor Stone, dammit. Garfield Logan, fuck. Kori Anders, double fuck. Richard Grayson, triple fuck.'_

"Who the hell is Tara McCoy?" Dick asked no one in particular as he read the list.

"The outcast, wouldn't expect _you_ to know," Raven answered rudely and sauntered out of the classroom. She stopped by her locker and put her things up, prior to making her way to the gym.

Every junior that attended Jump City High, also a man and a woman that nobody knew, are there. Raven presumed they were the hosts. Seated in the long rows of red chairs, are all the students. Raven found an empty chair right in the middle of the band nerds and the skaters.

'_This day just keeps getting better,' _Raven thought and folded her arms across her chest and her legs with one knee on top of the other. Raven watched what everyone was doing; she looked closely and saw that the two hosts are wearing nametags. The man's nametag said Vinny. He was wearing a red sweat suit that read 'Be The Change' on the back. The woman's nametag said Jennifer. She is wearing a red shirt that has 'Be The Change' on the front. Vinny is moving a paper canvas in front of them, and both of them held a microphone.

"Hey everybody," Jennifer greeted them in a fun joyful voice, "My name is Jennifer, and that's Vinny. Everybody say what's up Vinny."

"What's up Vinny," nearly everyone said, excluding Raven, who rolled her eyes.

"We want to welcome y'all to what we'd like to call a challenge day."

'_Can we please just get this over with?' _Raven thought bluntly, wishing she were anywhere but there.

"Now, what I want you to do first, is check out every person in this room. Go ahead, check um' out."

Everybody looked around at each other, and notions crossed their mind about each of them.

"Notice how you're judging them. And even right now, I know you're judging me. Some of ya'll probably think I'm beautiful, some of you might not. Some of y'all might be like I like this girl, she's cool. And the crazy thing is, you don't even know me, and I don't know you either. Today in challenge day is about finding out who people really are, not just who we think they are by checking that outer shell."

'_Oh hell no," _Raven refused.

Then Vinny began to speak into his microphone, "I want to teach y'all something, this," he raised his arm up in the air with his index finger, thumb and pinkie sticking out while the other two were down, "Is the international sign for I love you. Everybody show me this sign."

Everyone held the sign up high, while Raven did hers down low.

"We're going to be playing around in this room today, getting buck wild," Vinny continued, "And whenever we need y'alls attention, we'll hold up the sign. And whenever you want to send somebody love, just hold up the sign."

All the students looked around at each other with their eyebrows quirked, not knowing what to expect.

"Alright everybody," Vinny continued, "Get up on your feet." Raven just sat there, having no anticipation to get up, but everybody else did. Music began to play "Get Up Off Of That Thing" by James Brown. The room was a loud chortle as everybody danced around like idiots. Raven rolled her eyes, once again, and tried to ignore them all.

"I want everybody to dance with somebody you don't know," Vinny told them over the music.

Everyone did as he asked, and surprised the hell out of Raven. Everybody seemed to be having fun, not caring what people thought about them. But even then, the cliques are still there.

The song ended and Vinny spoke again, "Alright everybody," he held up his sign, "Run and get a seat on the opposite side of the room you were sitting at."

Everybody darted off in different directions, while Raven just watched, and rolled her eyes yet again.

Everybody laughed and some kids flipped out of their chairs and Vinny spoke again. "Alright, everybody get up and go dance with one other person you don't know."

They laughed and danced, and another song, "Thriller" by Michael Jackson, came on and they danced with another person they didn't know. After that, Vinny told them to run and sit down again, and they did.

Jennifer walked up to the paper canvas and picked up the blue marker and talked into her microphone, "Nearly every person on this planet is like an iceberg," she drew an iceberg on the canvas. "They only show about ten percent of who they really are," she drew a water line threw the iceberg near the top. "We'd like to call it being fake. There's ninety percent of a whole person that you never show to anyone. And today in challenge day, is about dropping this water line completely, and showing one hundred percent of who you are, being real."

Raven just rolled her eyes, but every other student was listening, and the words meant something to them.

"Now, can anybody tell me what emotions we're not afraid to show?"

"Boredom," Raven called out immediately, her right leg bent with her foot up in her chair, and her arms wrapped around it her knee.

"Alright boredom," Jennifer wrote it above the waterline.

"Joy," Kori answered, sitting straight up with her legs crossed at the knee, and her hands laced together in her lap.

"Cheerfulness," Toni Monetti, a prep, responded.

"Alright," Jennifer wrote it down.

"Optimism," Vic announced.

"Amusement," Gar called out. Jennifer was writing them as they said them.

"Affection," Roy Harper, a jock of the basketball team answered, eyeing the cheerleaders, who were all sitting together.

"Astonishment," Dick replied.

"Annoyance," Garth, a football player responded.

"Sadness," Tara called out, and every head turned towards her in the back. She blushed and shrunk down in her seat.

"Okay," Jennifer wrote it, "And I believe that's about it."

Everyone looked at the canvas. The part above the water line was barely filled with words.

"Now," Jennifer told them, her voice a sympathetic whisper, "What are the emotions you _don't_ show?"

The room is tacit, and mostly everyone is staring at the floor.

"Anger, frustration," Gar answered, breaking the silence. He was sitting back with his arms across his chest staring at the floor.

"Okay," Jennifer wrote them below the water line.

"Neglect, grief," Dick called out, leaning over with his elbows on his knees, and his hands laced together, staring at the floor.

"Envy," Toni responded, wiping away a tear.

"Disappointment," Roy Harper replied.

"Powerlessness, stressfulness," Vic announced, staring at the floor.

"Rage," Garth answered. Jennifer was writing each one of them down.

"Suffering, worry," Kori responded sitting the same way, but staring at the floor.

"Sympathy," Jinx, a troublemaker, replied. The gym was silent except for the emotions being called out.

"Aggressiveness," a skater answered.

"Shame, guilt," Gar called out, still staring at the floor.

"Torment," a loner responded.

"Anticipation, doubt," Dick replied, still staring at the floor.

"Helplessness, despair," Tara answered, her head hanging down, and her hair covering her face.

"Fear, trust," Raven responded, looking down at the floor.

Jennifer finished writing and stepped aside so everyone could see the canvas. Everybody looked up simultaneously, and the words they just named completely filled up the bottom of the iceberg and on the sides. Mostly everybody was too shocked to say anything.

Vinny moseyed over and stepped inside a blue-taped square on the ground. "Now what I'm standing in," he began, "Is my comfort zone. What do you notice about my comfort zone?"

"It's small," Victor Stone replied.

"That's right," Vinny continued, "And our comfort zone is where we're comfortable. We can hangout here, we can just be ourselves. But if you stay in your comfort zone too long, it's no longer a place to be comfortable, it's a prison, and we live our lives in that prison, afraid to show anyone who we really are. And today in challenge day, some people are going to step out of this box." He took a step forward and came completely out of the square.

'_Over my cold dead body,' _Raven refused, yet again. The other students were paying close attention, and you could tell by the way their eyes looked, that they had no idea what to expect.

"Now," Jennifer began in a low whisper, "I'm going to go first, cause we wouldn't ask you to do something we wouldn't. I love my mom. If you think I'm weird and wild, she's where I get it from. I remember in the eight grade, she started acting depressed. I was confused cause she was so different from the mom I grew up with. And all her friends stopped coming around because they didn't understand her depression. And I came home from school one day, and I found her after she'd taken a whole bottle of tranqualizer," tears began to form in her eyes, "She just didn't want to feel it anymore. A few days after that, I went back to school and my friends asked me how was I doing, and I was like I'm cool, let's go smoke."

Raven held up her hand, with the sign for I love you on her fingers, showing that she had respect for her. "How many of y'all have came to school, and said you were cool and you really weren't cool?"

Everybody's hand rose simultaneously.

"That's why during this part of today, it's so important that we talk about how crazy we feel on the inside. Cause I don't care who you are, you're going to get crazy sometimes, it's part of being human. So what can we do to let those feelings out, so that we don't hurt ourselves and other people?"

"I want everybody, in silence," Vinny told them, "To go into their assigned groups, and pull those chairs in so your knees are touching. Alright, go ahead y'all, in silence."

'_I don't know about all that, but I'll go,' _Raven reasoned, standing up and moseying over to the rest of her group, who were already sitting down. She pulled her chair back so that nobody would be touching her. From the left of her it went Dick, Vic, Kori, Gar, and Tara on her right.

"Alright everybody," Vinny continued in a low whisper, "Right now I want everybody to close their eyes." Everyone, including Raven, closed their eyes.

"I want you to think to yourself," his whisper was now more sympathetic than anything, "What's your story? What's it really like to be you? Past the image, behind the mask. Somedays you may even feel like you have a hole in your heart, and nobody knows about it. What's it really like to be you?"

'_It's like my life was a mistake,' _Raven cogitated.

'_It's like I'm a kid in a grown up's world,' _Dick contemplated.

'_It's like I only have the strength to live one part of my life,' _Kori mulled it over.

'_It's like I'm not in control of my own life,' _Vic pondered.

'_It's like I'm taking a risk to show who I really am,' _Tara deliberated.

'_It's like I'm more of a puppet than a person,' _Gar ruminated.

"Go ahead and open your eyes," Vinny told them, and they did so. Tara and Kori wiped away tears from their face, and Raven kept her face straight, along with Dick, Vic, and Gar.

"Right now," Vinny continued, "I need an eager volunteer to tell your group if we really knew you, what would we know? They're there to listen, and everyone's going to get a turn so be respectful, please begin."

Raven's group looked around at each other. And Gar broke the silence, "Well I guess I'll go first," he offered, and nobody else said anything so he concluded that they agreed.

"I'm class clown," he began, "I like to make people laugh by doing ridiculous things and sometimes I pick on people. But, if you really knew me, you'd know that when I'm lying down at night, thinking about all that's happened that day, I feel guilty about the things I do and say to people. And I wish that I had the gall to apologize, but I don't. And if you really knew me, you'd know that the only reason that I do any of that stuff, is cause I want to fit in, and I feel like if I don't make jokes and pick on people, nobody will like me."

'_The only friends you have are the other class clowns,' _Tara pondered, _'Nobody else like's you because you make of people.'_

Gar took a deep breath and kept going, "If you really knew me, you'd know that I am adopted by my Uncle. I live with him and my two older cousins. My cousins, they make fun of me all the time, they run all over me, and they always question my sexuality and call me gay, even though I'm completely straight," Gar began tearing up, and started staring at the floor instead of his group members who were watching him.

'_So that's why he picks on people,' _Tara reasoned, _'His cousins do it to him, so he does it to everyone else. It's all he knows.'_

"And if you really knew me," he continued, his voice uneven, "You'd know that the reason I live with them, is because my mom died from cancer when I was ten, and a week later, my dad died in a car accident."

'_It must be hard for him, poor kid,' _Dick assumed.

Raven was literally forcing herself not to get teary, and so where Vic and Dick, whilst Kori had tears cascading down her cheeks and Tara had a few. Gar was leaned over with his face buried in his hands, no doubt tears falling from his eyes. Tara rubbed his back comfortingly, and Kori wiped her tears away.

Gar sat up about thirty seconds later, and Tara embraced him in a heart-filled hug. Whilst the rest of the group looked around at each other, waiting on someone to talk.

Vic finally broke the silence, "Well I guess I'll go next, I'm the captain of the football team, and a jock. I've been named MVP for the football team for the past two years, and I have my own personal cheerleaders. But if you really knew me, you'd know that even with everyone knowing my name and wanting to be my friend, I still feel really alone."

'_At least somebody feels the same way I do,' _Kori reasoned.

"If you really knew me," Vic continued, "You'd know that my parents have been divorced for seven years now. And I'm always going back and forth between their houses. My step dad is always pushing me too hard. Every time I'm with him, I'm training, practicing, exercising, running, or lifting weights. He always says, that was good but you can and will do better. And he makes me feel like I'm not good enough," his voice began to be uneven, and he stared at the floor.

'_I can't even imagine what that's like,' _Kori considered, her tears coming back.

'_Damn, I wouldn't be able to deal with that,' _Gar admitted.

"My step mom is an evil bitch; she wants to send me away to military school. Which is always causing all four of them to argue, back and forth, every time they see each other. Holidays, birthdays, weddings, funerals, it doesn't matter, they argue and I hate it so much. I just want things to go back the way they were." He closed his eyes, holding back his tears, but still, a few escaped. Kori hugged him, and Dick patted his shoulder.

"I want to go next," Kori told them as she wiped her tears away with a tissue she got from her purse, "I'm Kori Anders, the homecoming queen for the past two years, and also this is my first year of being captain of the dance team. But, if you really knew me, you'd know that my parents are on the verge of divorce." Her voice became sobs and tears poured from her eyes.

'_Who knew Malibu Barbie actually had problems in her life?' _Raven reasoned.

'_Poor girl,' _Vic thought.

"Everyday I come home, and I have to listen to them argue, and stop them from physically hurting each other. And it's hard to watch what used to be slowly but surely fade away. And my dad, he just leaves at like eleven at night, and comes back at like six in the morning extremely drunk. And my mom just tries to act like everything is fine, and it's not."

Raven was trying so hard to keep her face straight, _'That's tough shit.'_

"If you really knew me," she continued, "You'd know that with being the captain of the dance team, comes the trouble of having to deal with people judging me. When we're performing at halftime, I know that people look down on me like I'm just a dirty slut," she sobbed, "But I'm not, I have a lot of respect for myself. That's why I hold my head up high, and I try to show people that I'm not the lowest common denominator."

'_Maybe I did judge her too harshly,' _Raven admitted.

"If you really knew me," she continued, "You'd know that the biggest struggle with being homecoming queen, is having to deal with people saying that I didn't deserve it. There was a girl who was just harassing me on the internet. Everyday she would post things about me, or send me hate mail. And even though I know that everything she says isn't true, it still hurts."

Vic hugged her, and Gar rubbed her back comfortingly.

"I'll go next," Tara told them, "I'm Tara McCoy and I'm the outcast." Kori sat up straight and stared at the floor, her tears still falling. Raven and Dick still had their straight faces on, and Gar and Vic were wiping their tears away.

"I've been going to this school for almost two months," she continued, "And I don't really know anybody, but I know that they think I'm a shy weird person. But if you really knew me, you'd know that at my old school, I was popular, and I had tons of friends. I was a very open-minded lively girl. But for three months until a week before I came here, I'd been dealing with domestic violence."

'_Who knew?' _Raven asked herself in disbelief.

'_Holy shit,' _Dick mentally cursed.

'_What dickhead would hit a girl?' _Gar pondered.

'_How sad,' _Kori considered.

'_Man, that's harsh,' _Vic thought.

"My boyfriend began to get so controlling, and then one day he hit me, and everything just escalating from there. He would just like grab me and slam me into things, and grab me by my hair, and I was just too terrified to tell anyone. And I didn't leave him for three months. This is my first time ever opening up about the situation. And I finally got away from him when I moved." She stared at the floor, and her tears started falling.

'_Emotions are useless, I don't need them and I don't use them,' _Raven told herself, but her eyes were filling up with tears.

"If you really knew me," Tara continued, "You'd know that the reason I moved, was because both of my parents died in a plane crash. I came to Jump City to live with my mom's best friend, she adopted me, so now she's my mom. And everyday I regret not telling my parents I loved them enough, and not appreciating them like I should have. They were always doing embarrassing things. And I would always say they were so annoying, and my friends would be like they're just parents, and compared to mine they're cool. And I really wish I could turn back time, and just enjoy them knowing what I know now."

That did it for Raven and for Dick, both of them had tears streaming down their faces. Gar hugged Tara, and Vic and Kori were hugging each other.

'_Fuck,' _Raven cursed mentally, wiping her tears away.

"I'll go next," Dick said, wiping away his tears, "I'm Dick Grayson, the captain of the basketball team, voted most likely to succeed last year, and a lot of people consider me a jock. I come to school everyday with a smile on my face, and I just have all this positive energy. But if you really knew me, you'd know that even though I look happy on the outside, on the inside, I'm just not."

'_What possibly could make him unhappy?' _Raven judged,_ 'He has everything a person could ever want, a huge house, a red motorcycle, and tons of friends.'_

"My dad is the CEO of Wayne Enterprises," Dick continued, "So I get whatever I want."

'_Nice way to start out, idiot,' _Raven thought.

"But money can't buy happiness, and my dad doesn't know that. All he does is buy me things, and that's it. He doesn't pay attention to me, it's like I don't even exist to him you know. I actually feel like I'm raising myself. And I'd trade all the money in the world, just to have a dad who cares."

He stared at the floor and tears fell from his perfect blue eyes and rolled down his fair face. He leaned over with his elbows on his knees and his hands clasped together. Kori was watching, tears filling her emerald eyes yet again. Gar and Vic were staring at the floor, trying not to get emotional again. Tara put her hand on his shoulder, and Raven actually felt a little sympathy towards him.

"If you really knew me," he continued, his voice a little uneven, "You'd know that my mom died from a heartattack when I was fourteen years old. One day she was fine, the next we were rushing to the hospital, and just like that, she was gone. And the biggest obstacle on dealing with her passing, was the fact that I was being eaten alive by guilt. Cause I knew my dad had been having an affair for two years, and I didn't say a thing to her. And she died not knowing because of my stupidity."

Raven looked away from him, and tried to blink her tears away, but they escaped anyways. Tara's eyes filled with tears, and she moved her hand from his shoulder to wipe them away. Kori was dabbing her eyes with tissues and gave Gar some so he could wipe his tears away. Vic was leaned over with his hand on his forehead, staring at the ground.

Dick sat back up but still stared at the floor, and his face covered in tears. "If you really knew me," he continued, his voice really uneven, "You'd know that a year later, my little sister Chloe died at the age of ten from cancer." He paused, and tears cascaded down his cheeks, along with everyone else's.

"She was a really great person, and she meant the world to me," he continued, "When she first died, I remember how unreal it was, it didn't even feel like she was gone. Cause no matter how much I tried to come to the realization that she was gone, I couldn't. Even after two years of her being gone, it's still not real to me. She was my best friend, and the only person who really did understand me and what I was going through, cause she went through it too. Dad barely visited her in the hospital, and when he did, he had nothing positive to say. And one day, he came in, and I heard him telling the doctors to pull the plugs on Chloe, and let her go."

'_Damn, maybe I did put the wrong label on him,'_ Raven reasoned.

"I know the only reason he did that was so she could finally be at peace, but deep down, I hate him for it. I hate the fact that he didn't even ask me what my thoughts were on the situation, he just took it upon himself to end her life. And I do believe that Chloe could have made it, she was a small girl, but she put up a big fight."

Everybody turned and looked at Raven, as it was her turn to talk. Each one of them with tears in their eyes and rolling down their cheeks.

"I guess it's my turn then," Raven reasoned, wiping her tears away, "Well, I'm Raven Roth, I'm typically a stoic, meaning that I don't show any kind of emotions, but today isn't a normal day, so I'll just go with whatever. I guess you could conclude that I'm not the most behaved person at this school. I do get into trouble a lot, but only because I have to hurt somebody before they hurt me. Because if you really knew me, you'd know that it's because I have tremendous trust issues. I don't like for people to touch me. I don't know why, but I'm just not comfortable with strangers putting their hands on me. I don't let people into my life, It was my choice not to have friends. I'm just too afraid that I'll get hurt."

'_Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen her touching anybody,' _Dick pondered, having flashbacks in his head of Raven dodging hands.

"You don't have to be afraid," Kori told her, "None of us are going to hurt you, or judge you for that matter. And it's not healthy to keep things bottled up inside." The rest of the group nodded in agreement.

Raven looked into all of their eyes, and decided it was only fair for her to open up, as all of them did.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before starting, "I get judged a lot because of how I dress. Yes I am gothic, but when people see me, they automatically assume that I do drugs, or I vandalize things, or I fight people for no reason, and all kinds of negative things. But on the inside, I'm just a petrified teenage girl."

She stared at the ground, and held in her tears. "If you really truly knew me, you'd know that I was never acquainted with my father, he has never been apart of my life. And I live with my older brother Nick in a two-bedroom apartment, and I have been for the last four years. Nick is the father figure in my life, and I look up to him," she sniffed, and a few tears escaped and rolled down her cheeks, "He's what I think a man should be. And he tries his best to give me a good life, and I love him."

She looked up and saw the rest of her group members staring at her, their eyes filled with compassion and tears.

"If you really knew me," she started again, "You'd know that once, I did have a friend in the third grade. His name was Andy, and I trusted him, I really did. I wouldn't be afraid to open up to him, and be myself around him. We'd already planned our whole lives out. He gave me a candy ring, and we promised each other that we were going to get married when we were older," Raven smiled, "And one day, we were playing on the railroad tracks behind his house. His parents told us not to, but we were just little kids, and we didn't know any better and thought they were just being party poopers, so we did it anyway. And the train came, and Andy, he just couldn't get out of the way fast enough. And the train hit him, and he died."

'_I remember Andy,' _Kori thought.

"If you really knew me," Raven continued, her normal monotone voice unsmooth, "You'd know that my mom died when I fifteen years old. I found her after she'd overdosed. My mom, she wasn't willing to change. I remember times when I was seven or eight years old, and I would sit in her doorframe watching her snort angel dust, shoot heroin, or smoke pot. And I knew things about drugs that no one my age should have known. But, she was my mom, and I still love her to this day. I've forgiven her for all the hell she's put me through, and the only thing I regret is not telling her that. She died not knowing because of me trying to hold my emotions in."

'_At least somebody knows what that's like,' _Dick thought, wiping his eyes with a tissue Kori had given him.

"If you really knew me," Raven continued tears cascading down her face, "You'd know that a year prior to my mom dying, I was sexually assaulted. My mom brought some of her 'friends' over to our house, and one of the men was a little too friendly. And if being raped wasn't bad enough, I got pregnant. And I wanted to keep the baby, because I don't think that, by any means, is abortion right. But being only fourteen at the time, my mother decided to make the decision that I needed to get an abortion."

'_Oh my goodness,' _Kori thought, tears pouring from her eyes.

'_Oh man, who knew?' _Dick asked himself, tears falling from his eyes.

'_That must've been hard,' _Tara assumed, tears cascading down her cheeks.

'_Poor girl,' _Vic considered, tears escaping.

'_Holy shit,' _Gar cursed mentally, wiping his eyes.

"And of all that I've been through," Raven sobbed, "That, is the thing that haunts every waking moment of my life. I think about it everyday, I hate myself for it. You have no idea what it's like to lye down, and have your baby taken from you and _killed_, and not be able to do a damned thing about it."

Raven leaned over with her face buried in her hands, sobbing. Kori, Vic, Tara, Gar, and Dick wanted to hug her, but she didn't want them to touch her.

"Well, we love you Raven," Tara told her, "And we respect that you're not comfortable with us touching you, so we send you air hugs."

Raven sat back up, and looked at Tara and the rest of her group members before smiling at them, "Thanks, and I appreciate it."

They all smiled back at her, and Jennifer began talking in to the microphone again.

"Alright guys, show me the sign if your done."

Raven's group and every other group raised up the sign.

"Alright then," Jennifer said, "Reach out, give each person a hug, and say thanks for sharing."

Raven's group stood up and Vic, Kori, Tara, Gar and Dick all joined in a group hug telling each other thank you. While Raven stood a foot back away from them, and reached out placing one hand on Tara's shoulder and one on Dick's. Every head turned and faced her, she blushed and pulled her hands away.

"Uh, thanks," she said unsurely, and walked off into the crowd of hugging teenagers.

'_This is my worst nightmare,' _Raven thought, weaving her way through the crowd.

"Alright everybody," Vinny said into the microphone, "Can you all come and stand behind the blue tape."

There was a lengthy piece of blue tape on the right side of the court, and another one on the left side. Everyone did as he asked, and astoundingly, Raven's group was standing altogether in the front. From the left it went Vic, Gar, Tara, Kori, Raven, and Dick.

"This next activity we're about to do," Vinny continued, "Is really special, it's called the power shuffle."

Jennifer stood on one of the chairs that was on the sidelines of the court, right in front of the half court line. "The way it works is," she told them, "I'm going to call out different categories or situations and if what I say applies to you, then cross the line. Please cross the line if you have ever been picked on, teased, hurt, or put down by someone in this room."

Tara, Kori, and many others crossed the line and stood behind the other one. Raven held up her sign along with Vic, Dick, and Gar who was staring at the floor.

"And did someone cross this line because of you?" Jennifer asked, her voice sympathetic and low, "Something that you might have said or done? I want everybody who crossed the line to look to your left and right at the people next to you and see their courage."

Tara and Kori embraced each other, tears falling from their eyes. Gar had tears falling from his eyes, because many people did cross the line because of him.

"This is the only way the world will change," Jennifer told them, "Is if people are willing to look at themselves, and be honest. Thank you."

The people who crossed the line returned. Kori and Tara were meet by hugs from the group.

"Please cross the line if you have ever been judged based on how you dress, what you look like, who your family is, the people you hang out with, or what you like to do, by anyone."

Raven, Dick, Gar, Tara, and Kori crossed the line along with many, many others. Tara hugged Dick, both of them crying, and Raven patted Kori's back while she sobbed. Vic and so many others held up their sign.

"Did someone cross this line because of you? Because you formed an opinion of them? Judging people is wrong, and every person in this room is guilty of it. Everyone is. Thank you."

They all went back to the line, and hugged each other.

"Please cross the line if you have ever been picked on, hurt, harassed, or put down virally by someone in this room."

Kori crossed the line, and so did a few other people. She hugged them, and they all had tears streaming down their faces.

"Cyber bulling is one of the most common nowadays, and many people don't realize how much they really do hurt people by doing it. It's not right, it's not funny, it's not cute, and it's most definitely not okay. Thank you."

They returned from the line, and Kori embraced Gar, tears pouring from her eyes.

"Please cross the line if you have an immediate family member or close friend that has died."

Raven, Gar, Dick, and Tara crossed the line, and few others did too. Gar embraced Tara as she sobbed, and tears streamed down his face. Dick closed his eyes, tears cascaded down his cheeks, and Raven placed her hand on his shoulder. Vic and Kori were holding up their sign, both of them with tears rolling down their face.

"What did you like most about her or him? What do you regret doing or not doing the most? Whether someone dies suddenly or gradually, there can and most likely will be unexpressed emotions that they never knew about. That's why y'all shouldn't keep things bottled up inside. You never know which day might be your last or someone else's. Tomorrow is not guaranteed by any means. Thank you."

They returned, and Tara hugged Vic, while Kori hugged Gar, and the rest of the teenagers were hugging and crying. The room was silent, besides sniffing, and some sobbing.

"Please cross the line if your parents are divorced, separated, or just not in love anymore."

Vic, Kori, and about half of the rest of the group crossed the line. Raven, Gar, Dick, and Tara held up the sign to them, each of them with tears streaming down their face, including Raven.

"Look around," Jennifer told the people who crossed the line, "There are other people who know what this feels like. You're not alone, there are others. But you didn't know because nobody ever mentions what's going on at home. Thank you."

They all returned and Tara embraced Vic, while Kori hugged Dick.

"Please cross the line if you didn't get to voice your opinion in any kind of situation before."

Dick and Raven crossed the line, and many others did too. Vic, Kori, Gar, and Tara held up their signs high and proud.

"Are your thoughts still there? Unheard and not thought about by anyone? It's nice to have the option to speak out even when you don't use it. But nobody really appreciates anything until it's gone. Thank you."

They returned and everybody continued hugging and crying.

"Please cross the line if you are adopted or have never meet one or both of your birth parents."

Tara, Gar, and Raven crossed the line, and so did about a third of the crowd. Tara hugged Gar, and Raven stared at the ground. Dick, Kori, and Vic held up their signs.

They waited a moment in silence, everybody was quiet, even the sobs stopped. They were giving their respect to the people who did cross. "Thank you," Jennifer told them, in a whisper, while wiping her tears away.

They returned, the group hugged again, and Raven put one of her hands on Gar's shoulder and one on Vic's.

"Please cross the line if you have ever been a victim of any kind of violence, abuse, or assault. Any kind."

Tara, Kori, Gar, and Raven crossed the line, and so did more than half of the crowd. Vic and Dick held up their sign, and so did the rest of the teenagers on the right side of the court.

"Abuse is not cool in any way, form, or fashion. It hurts either physically or emotionally, no matter who it's coming from, or how it's coming, it still hurts. And it's not right, and we all know that. Thank you."

They returned, and they hugged and cried.

"Please cross the line if a family member or a friend is on, was on, or died from drugs."

Raven crossed the line, and so did a few others. Dick held his sign up high and looked directly at Raven, while the rest of the group held theirs up to everyone in general.

"Does that person know or did that person know, that you were or are still being effected by them taking drugs? If not, tell them, and if you can't tell them, forgive them. Drug abuse affects many people in many different ways all over the world. It affects whoever is abusing them, and all the people around them. It's not cool to do drugs, and being a drug addict is very preventable, just walk away. Cause in a long run, being drug free is way cooler. Firstly because, you get to live a full life, secondly you can't get a good job when you have ever taken drugs, and lastly, nobody wants to get involved with a person who does them. Thank you."

They returned, and everybody in the room was in tears, including the hosts.

"Please cross the line if you have ever been a child."

Vic, Gar, Kori, and Tara crossed the line, along with half of the crowd.

"Now if you got to cross the line in this one, please send your love to those who didn't get to cross." Everybody on the left side of the court held up their sign, the members of Raven's group that crossed held them up high and proud, showing their respect to those who didn't cross. While Raven and Dick were crying their eyes out.

Jennifer's voice was a whisper full of sympathy, "Some people," she held her sign up to those who didn't cross, "Never had the chance to be a child. They had to grow up, way too fast. Some people had to see and witness things that no young child should have had to see or witness. They had responsibilities put on them from the day they woke up. Having to take care of people and things when they should have still been cared for."

They waited a moment, in silence, showing respect. Raven looked up and saw the whole crowd of people sending their love to her and the others.

"Some people just never got the chance to be a child. Thank you."

They returned, and hugs, and I love yous were exchanged.

"Please cross the line if you have ever felt alone."

Every single student crossed the line, and many more hugs were exchanged.

"Look around," Jennifer told them and they did so, "All of these people are here for you. How can all y'all feel alone when you're surrounded by all these people? This is why you need to open up. If you did, then you wouldn't feel so alone, because all these other people feel the same way. Thank you, and please take your seats."

Everybody exchanged hugs for about five more minutes, before everyone was seated.

"So what we're about to do right now," Vinny told them from the front of the gym, "Is called a speak out. During speak out, you have the chance to get the microphone and say whatever you want to say. It's about using your voice to create change. Who wants to go first?"

Gar raised his hand.

"C'mon up here ain't nobody trippin. Send those signals right over here," Vinny handed Gar the microphone, and everybody's hands went up with the signs on them.

"Uh, hey everybody," Gar said, "I'm Gar, and I like to make people laugh. But sometimes I make fun of people to do it. And I just wanted to apologize to anyone that I may have hurt in the past, I'm sorry. And I will try my best not to hurt anybody else."

Everybody clapped and he took his seat.

"Who's next?" Vinny asked.

Jinx raised her hand.

"C'mon up here sweetheart," Vinny gave her the microphone. A few people raised their signs up, cause Jinx wasn't the nicest person, and not a lot of people get along with her.

"I'm Janet," she told them, "But many of you probably know me as Jinx. I do get into a lot of trouble, and I know that I have hurt people in the past. And one person more than anyone else. Kori, could you please come up here?"

Kori raised her eyebrow, but went anyways. She stood beside Vinny and faced Jinx.

"Kori, I just want to apologize. I'm sorry that I wrote all those things about you online. You did deserve to win homecoming queen, I was just jealous that you got way more votes than me," more people raised their signs, including Raven and her group, "And I was wrong for calling you a slut just for being captain of the dance team. I did judge you, and I was wrong, I'm sorry, and I will stop. Do you forgive me?"

All eyes went on Kori, and Jinx held the microphone up to Kori's mouth.

"I'm not the type to hold grudges, so yes, I do forgive you," Kori told her, and everyone applauded. Jinx gave Vinny back the microphone.

"Alright y'all hug it out," Vinny told them, and they gladly did. And he hugged each one of them too.

"Who's next?" Vinny asked.

'_I can't believe I'm doing this,' _Raven raised her hand.

"C'mon up here sweetie," Vinny told her. Raven stood up, and many signs went into the air. But not everyone in the room, because Raven wasn't the most liked person in the school either. Vinny gave her the microphone, and she stepped about a foot away from him.

"Well, I'm Raven," she told them, "And I have damaged a lot of people in this room, as well as ones that aren't. And I want to publicly apologize for it, and I anticipate all of you do forgive me," more signs went up into the air, "I would also like to tell you all, that I have extreme trust issues. I'm not very keen on the entire 'touching' concept, and I opted not to have friends. But now, in reality, I do feel like it is a necessity that I open up more, and actually be close to people. Not only for my sake, but also for other people's."

'_I can't believe she's doing this,' _Dick thought.

'_Am I dreaming, or is Raven Roth really saying this?' _Gar thought.

"So," Raven continued, "I'm going to share this story with all of you. I was sixteen, and it was Christmas day. My mom had died the previous year, and it was the first Christmas devoid of her. I just, I couldn't take it you know, and I decided that I was going to commit suicide," she pulled back her sleeve on her left arm to reveal a long red scar, that started at her wrist and came all the way up her forearm. Gasps of Kori's and a few other people's echoed around the room.

"I was tired of being put down by life, and I wanted to end mine all together. But my older brother, Nick Roth, found me and took me to the hospital, and I survived. I remember the whole ride there, I was fading in and out of consciousness, and that was the first time I ever made my brother cry. And I came to school a few weeks after that, and nobody knew what I had just experienced, until now. All the reasons why, I didn't want them to be voiced. The whole experience and what I went through, I wanted it to be covert. But now, I realize that when I depart from this earth, I want to go with no regrets or remorse. And knowing that the task God created me to complete, was completed. And I'm extremely grateful that my suicide attempt was a fail, and I was given a second chance at life."

"How many of y'all would have missed her," Jennifer asked, from the back of the gym, "If her suicide attempt would have been successful?"

Every hand raised, Dick stood up and everybody followed his action, and applauded.

"We love you Raven," Kori called out above the clapping.

"I love all of you too, and thanks for listening," Raven took her seat, and the applauding died down.

"Who's next?" Vinny asked, and Dick stood up and came to the front. Vinny handed the microphone to him. Everybody's signs came up, Dick is very much liked at this school.

"I'm Dick Grayson," he said, "The captain of the basketball team and labeled a jock. And I'd just like to say, that I absolutely agree with Raven. When I leave this world, I want to have no regrets or remorse, and I don't want anyone else to either. So whenever you have something on your mind or you need somebody to talk to, I'm here for you. Come and talk to me and I'll give you my full and undivided attention, and I'll help you out."

"Give him a round of applause," Vinny said even though everyone already was clapping, "It takes a lot to do that."

Dick took his seat, and the applauding died down.

"Anybody else?" Vinny asked, Kori came to the front and he handed her the microphone.

"Hey everybody," she said, "I'm Kori Anders, but most of you know me as the leader of the clique the Homecoming Queen and her supporters. And because I've been 'assigned' into that clique, I'm not 'allowed' to associate with anyone outside of it. So, I say, to hell with the cliques. They're nothing but barriers keeping us from each other. And as long as I attended Jump City High, I make it my mission to break all the cliques, and have us to be just, normal high school students you know, not Stoners and Nerds."

Everybody applauded, and she took her seat.

"Anybody else?" Nobody raised their hands or stood up, "Anybody?" Nobody said anything.

"Alright then, give those guys an awesome round of applause."

Everybody clapped, and some hugs were exchanged.

"Alright, now what you feel in this room right now, this is real power," Vinny told them, "And if y'all can make this room feel like this today, then there's absolutely no reason you can't tomorrow."

Jennifer came to the front, "I challenge you," she said, "When you walk out those doors, to live your life. And y'all are free to go change the World."

* * *

End Chapter

How was that? Good or bad? Should I continue? Leave a review, and tell me what you think.

Vinny and Jennifer are real people; they are actual hosts from the show. And Jennifer's story is true, I didn't make it up. Part of Gar's, Kori's, and Raven's stories are based off of real people from the show.

_-GothicPrinccess_


	2. The Day After

Thanks for the reviews, enjoy!

**The Day After**

Raven went home that day, and she had a long and much needed conversation with Nick about everything they have ever been through, and their outlooks about it. Dick went home, and tried to sit his dad down and talk to him, but his father insisted that something at work was more important. Gar set his cousins straight, and now he's unquestionably positive that they won't be bothering him or anyone else anymore. Tara drove back home, went to her parents graves, and told them everything that was on her mind. Vic told his parents and his stepparents what he was feeling; now they have promised not to argue anymore, and he was definitely not going to military school. Kori sat both of her parents down and negotiated with them, and now they have decided to go see a marriage counselor.

Everyone had a peaceful slumber, including Dick; he was content with himself for trying. Raven slept nightmare free, possibly because she got everything off her mind.

* * *

The following morning, it had snowed that night so the roads were slick and icy. Nick was driving extremely wary as he took Raven to school.

Things were ill at ease between Raven and her brother, but also calmed, in a sense. Both of them let out things that they'd been keeping caged inside for years, and Nick also came to an agreement with Raven to try to let the walls down around him, but no promises were made.

The ride to school was tacit, as usual. Chitchatting still isn't the favorite pastime for either of them.

"Don't forget you have work today," Nick reminded Raven as they pulled into the school parking lot.

"Gross, don't remind me," Raven said seriously. Fat Ass Burger is categorically the place that she doesn't want to be. But Nick made it unambiguous that she has to pay her own cell phone bill, so she had to get a job.

"Later," Raven got out of the truck and closed the door prior to walking onto the school's sidewalk.

The pavement was completely enveloped in ice, while the grass was crammed with snow, and a lot of students were outside having a massive snowball brawl.

'_I have so much hatred towards this damned snow,' _Raven thought, toddling cautiously on the ice, _'I never fail to slip-'_

THUMP!

Raven lost her balance, and her feet slid out from under her, causing her to fall flat on her back.

"Fuck!" she exclaimed, attempting to get up, but her hands kept slipping and sliding on the ice.

Dick, who was one of the participants in the snowball brawl, heard Raven's expletive and turned to see what was going on. He saw Raven on the ground, immensely concentrating on getting back on her feet. He also saw that all her attempts were in vain. And being the obliging person that he is, he jogged over to help her out.

"Need a hand?" he offered, smiling and holding out his hand to her.

"I'm fine, thank you very much," Raven declined and continued to try and get back up, but was very unsuccessful.

"C'mon, it's just a hand," Dick cajoled her, "And from the looks of it, you'll be out here until the ice melts."

Raven glowered at him, and his smile had turned into his annoying smirk that she despised so much.

"You can trust me," he moved his hand closer to her.

Eying him closely and intensively, Raven finally gave in and took his hand. He slowly helped her back up on her feet, and put his other hand on her back for more support.

At a snail's pace, they were making their way to the schools double doors. Raven stared her feet and tottered, while Dick is guiding her and trying his best not to let her slip and fall again.

Raven let out a sigh of relief when they finally made it. Dick took his hands off of her, and opened the doors.

"And how, exactly, did you learn to do that?" Raven questioned him, her voice blank, and her face straight.

"After playing so many basketball games on a just waxed gym floor," Dick replied, "You get used to it."

Dick started to walk inside but Raven stopped him, "Wait, I'm confused," she acknowledged to him, "Are we having a parley, or an actual authentic talk here?"

"A talk, definitely," Dick answered smiling.

'_I see right through you're phony little smile, Grayson,' _Raven thought as she eyed him suspiciously, '_You're not fooling anybody.'_

Dick ignored her usual acts of suspicion towards him, and they sauntered inside to see something that wasn't very typical for JCH at all.

Not a clique was visible anyplace in the main hallway, and probably nowhere else either. Every high school student was just talking and hanging out with a diverse group of people. Together near a group of lockers in the hallway, were Tara, Gar, Kori, and Vic. Each of them with a smile plastered on their face, laughing away at something Gar was telling them.

"Is this really happening," Raven ask him, her brow quirked but her voice stoic, "Or did I just smoke something?"

"I honestly don't know," Dick said, "Let's go find out."

Both of them wandered over to the group of giggling and laughing friends.

"Oh hello!" Kori greeted Raven and Dick gleefully, "It is so delightful to see you again!"

"Hi Kori," Raven said unusually, eying the odd teen.

"Hey Kori," Dick greeted her.

RRRRIIIIINNNNGGGG!

"Let's go Vic, we're off to math class," Kori seized him by the arm, and they darted off down the hall.

The remaining four, Dick, Raven, Gar, and Tara, all shrugged simultaneously before making their way to history, which they all had together.

In History class, all was unusual as well. Not a clique was in sight, and the whole class seemed to be getting along.

Raven took her seat in front of Dick; Gar took the seat across from Dick and behind Tara, who took the seat across from Raven. Gar and Dick immediately conversed, while Tara waited on Raven to start a conversation. After about twenty seconds of silence between them, Tara got the hint, and started a conversation on her own.

"So, uh, how are you?" she asked Raven friendlily.

"Fine," Raven turned and looked at her, and thought that maybe she could be nice to her, "And yourself?"

"I'm good," Tara smiled, "Thanks. So what do you like to do?"

"I like to threaten people," Raven replied bluntly, "What about you?"

"I love to sing," Tara answered, still smiling despite what Raven just told her, "Singing is my favorite pastime. But I also love gardening, or recycling. The earth means everything to me, and I always help it in anyway I can. What music do like?"

"Rock, and you?"

'_Go ahead and say it, pop,' _Raven assumed.

"I'm actually a really big fan of rock myself," Tara replied smugly.

"Excuse me?" Raven thought her ears had deceived her.

"Rock, I like rock music," Tara repeated, "And I have absolutely no interest in pop, if that's what you were thinking."

"No, that's not what I was thinking at all," Raven lied, "So anything that has something about a double life, or a girl who sits around singing about a guy all day, you don't care about it?"

"No, not at all," Tara answered, smiling.

"Maybe you're not so bad after all," Raven admitted.

"So, you're saying this could be the start of a great friendship?" Tara asked.

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Tara smiled and the teacher moseyed in. That day in class was a pretty easy day. Even though Gar and his big mouth got everybody homework. And apart from that, Raven realized that at least one person from her group was in every class she had, which was good, in a sense. But, the entire group together had only two normal classes, English and Chemistry, together, plus study hall and lunch.

After History, Raven and Tara were sauntering down to French, where Kori would most definitely meet up with them. Immediately after they walked through the classroom door, Kori came gleefully skipping up to them.

"Hey Kori," Tara greeted her.

"Hey Tara, hi Raven," Kori greeted them, smiling ear to ear.

"Hi Kori," Raven greeted her back monotonously as they all sat down. Raven decided to sit in front of Tara and across from Kori.

"Raven," Kori started a conversation, with a smile plastered on her face, "I really would like to get to know you more."

"Good luck with that," Raven replied. She wasn't convinced by any means that she and Kori could ever be friends, and wasn't willing to give it a try.

'_We're just two different. I don't even think we're the same species,' _Raven concluded.

"You don't want to get to know me back?" Kori questioned, still smiling because she had something up her sleeve.

"To be frank, no I don't," Raven replied bluntly, and faced the front.

"What I was to mention that I have an undying love for the color black?" Kori cajoled her.

"Pardon?" Raven asked, her voice stoic, but a tinge of bewilderment on her porcelain face. Raven turned and faced Kori, who was smugly smiling.

"Black, I love the color black," Kori repeated, "Even though I'm not Goth, black is still my favorite color. Black is calm, yet tasteful, and most importantly, slimming."

"Maybe I was wrong about you," Raven admitted.

"Hooray!" Tara exclaimed, right in Raven's ear, "We're all friends now." She smiled big, and did a little celebration dance in her seat.

"Not if you do that again," Raven informed her as she rubbed her ear.

"Sorry," Tara stopped dancing immediately.

RRRRIIIIINNNNGGGG!

The second bell rung, indicating that class was supposed to start. All they did that day in French was translate paragraphs and listen to the teacher talk with his to die for accent.

After French class, it was time for Chemistry, also homeroom. Which the entire group had together.

Raven, Tara, and Kori walked inside classroom together. Vic, Gar, and Dick, where all sitting at one of the round tables. Tara and Kori immediately joined them, while Raven was hesitant, but followed them anyways.

"Hey guys," Kori and Tara greeted them as they sat down. Kori sat in the chair next to Vic, who was sitting to left of Gar, and Tara sat in the chair to the right of Gar.

"Hey," the guys greeted them back, simultaneously.

"Hi," Raven sat in the chair between Dick and Kori, right across from Gar.

"Hey Rae," Gar greeted her with a smile on his face.

"Call me that again, and I'll slap the sound out of your mouth," Raven threatened him, her eyes squinted.

Vic and Dick fell into laughter, while Kori and Tara giggled.

"How's about I call you sugar lips?" Gar smirked at her, and she shot him death glares.

"How's about you shut your big mouth before I shut it for you?" Raven grimaced through her teeth, her temper rising.

"What rock did you crawl from under?" Gar scowled.

"The same one your girlfriend did, oh wait, you don't have one," Raven insulted.

Gar glared at her.

"Out of insults already, Logan?" Raven taunted him, "Here, let me help. Are you always this stupid, or are you making a special effort today?"

Gar looked at her as if in thought.

"Don't let your mind wander, it's far too small to be let out on it's own," Raven deadpanned, and the laughter continued. Dick was beginning to tear up because he was laughing so hard. Vic was hysterically laughing and banging his fist on the table. While Tara and Kori were still giggling.

"If I throw a stick, will you leave?" Gar insulted with a smirk plastered on his face.

Raven opened her mouth but Vic interrupted, "Okay, that's enough guys, we're all friends here."

"We're just kidding," Gar claimed, "We're friends, right Raven?"

"Sure Gar," Raven rolled her eyes, "But, I honestly do think that we all should try to get to know each other, before we start this whole 'friendship thing'."

"I agree," Vic coincided with her, "So how about we hangout later?"

"I'm down with it," Gar shrugged.

"I'm in," Kori and Tara agreed simultaneously.

"I'm cool," Dick agreed, and every head turned to Raven.

"I, uh, can't," Raven told them monotonously.

"Why?" Dick asked curiously.

"Because I have to, um," Raven clenched her teeth, "I have to work."

"Work?" the whole group exclaimed together.

"Yes, work," Raven replied, her voice sounding annoyed, "I have to go to work today."

"Where do you work at?" Tara questioned.

"Fatassburger," Raven muttered.

"What was that?" Vic asked.

"Fat Ass Burger," Raven admitted, "I work at Fat Ass Burger."

"_You_ work at…Fat Ass…..Burger?" Gar asked through his laughter.

"Well, can't you take off?" Dick questioned, ignoring Gar.

"No, I have to pay my cell phone bill," Raven informed them.

"Well that's too bad," Kori frowned.

"Yeah," Tara agreed, frowning as well, "I guess we'll just have to go with you. Is that okay with you Raven?"

"I'll be fine," Raven told them truthfully, "You guys go ahead and have fun, and I'll be in for the next one."

"Okay," Tara and Kori pouted. The guys were disappointed, but just shrugged in agreement.

RRRRIIIIINNNNGGGG!

The bell rung, and the chemistry teacher, Mrs. Callahan, came stumbling in. Mrs. Callahan is a great teacher, and she's really smart, but completely ungainly. She's always tripping over something or nothing at all, spilling things, choking on her words, and just being completely uncoordinated. The school has had to evacuate over twenty times since the beginning of the year on Mrs. Callahan's account. A chemistry teacher really isn't the best job for a klutz.

"Please take your seats everyone," Mrs. Callaway told them as she walked to the center of the all the tables, "Today you will be assigned a partner, and you will be working with them to identify different animal tracks. But to make it more interesting, there will be ten minutes on the clock, and whichever group identifies the most animal tracks at the end of the ten minutes, will be awarded a special prize."

"What's the prize?" Gar questioned, with his hopes up.

"It's a sur-prize," Mrs. Callaway burst into laughter, but she was the only one. Most of students eyed her like she was crazy, while Raven rolled her eyes.

Mrs. Callaway cleared her throat and gained her composure, "Well, let's just get right to the groups then. Okay, Ben and Toni, Jinx and Hilton, Garth and Tara, Jessica and Kyle, Kori and Roy, Adam and Nicole, Gar and Dick, April and Kenny, and lastly, Raven and Vic. The papers are on my desk, help yourself. And please go with your partner and begin."

'_At least I'm not with Gar,'_ Raven thought as her class members dispersed to different places around the classroom, _'We wouldn't be able to get anything done with both of us goofing off the entire time.'_

Vic went and got the paper before he moved to the seat that Dick had been previously sitting in.

"The first one is a skunk," Vic answered, as he eyed the paper.

"Mind if I look?" Raven asked, not wanting to be rude, but wanting to double check.

"Not at all," Vic handed her the paper.

'_Okay, four feet, five toes,' _Raven analyzed as she intensively observed the tracks, _'And they're tubular. So that narrows it down to the dog family, raccoons, skunks, opossum, wolverines, or bears.' _She noticed the pattern of the steps taken, front left and back right, then front right and back left. _'That means the animal is a pacer, so that minimizes the group to opossum, bears, skunks, and raccoons.' _She then studied the obvious characteristics of the track. _'Claws are too long to be a raccoon. It's too small to be a bear or a possum. So it's a Skunk.'_

"Skunk," Raven answered and wrote it down on the paper.

"Like I said," Vic said with a smirk on his face, but his ebony eyes kind and sincere.

"Right," Raven went on to the next one.

'_It's small and pencil lead,' _Raven observed_, 'So that means that it's in the rodent family. Four feet and four toes on the front two, five on the hind.' _She noted the pattern of the tracks, left leg from the front and left leg from the back, right leg from the front and right leg from the back. _'It's a galloper, but the tracks are way to big to be a Squirrel, Chipmunk, Marmot, or a Groundhog, so that means it's a….'_

"Mouse," Raven answered aloud.

"Okay, write it down," Vic told her.

"Don't you want to double check it?" Raven asked.

"No, I trust you."

"Alright then," Raven wrote the answer, and handed the paper to him so he could do the next one.

"It's a Fox," Vic responded and handed the paper to her, "Check it."

"I'm good," Raven declined, "Go ahead and write it down, I trust you."

"Okay then," Vic wrote the answer down, and they continued working. When the timer went off, all the groups turned their papers in, and it turns out that Tara and Garth finished the most.

"Hell yeah," Tara did the moonwalk as a victory dance, "So what's my prize?" Everybody was standing up in different places around the classroom. Kori, Raven, and Tara were all at the front standing in a group together and the guys were with them.

"Don't you mean our prize?" Garth asked.

"No, I meant exactly what I said," Tara sassed, "I did all the work, so I get the prize."

Garth opened his mouth to say something back, but Raven shot him a death glare, and he ran away like a terrified little girl.

"What's my prize?" Tara asked anxiously.

"Your prize is," Mrs. Callahan answered, and Tara's hopes escalated, "My praise. Good job."

"Huh?" Tara asked in disbelief. Vic, Gar, and Dick chuckled unheard, and Kori and Raven quirked their eyebrows.

"My praise, your prize is my praise," Mrs. Callahan repeated.

"What? Your praise is not a prize," Tara complained, disappointed and angry.

"Yes it is."

"No it's not," Tara argued, "Can I ride on your praise? No. Can I talk on your praise? No. Can I play with your praise? No. Can I um….."

"Wear your praise," Kori finished for her, "No."

"And she can't uh….eat it….either," Raven chimed in, unsure.

"Alright fine you're right," Mrs. Callahan gave in, "Here's twenty bucks, go crazy." She held out her hand with a twenty dollar bill in it.

RRRRIIIIINNNNGGGG!

"Thanks," Tara grabbed the money out of her hand and skipped out of the classroom. Raven, Dick, Vic, Kori, and Gar trailed after her.

The rest of that day was relatively interesting. Raven and Gar continued to insult each other, everyone knew they were kidding, but still, it was good entertainment. Raven actually enjoyed herself for the first time ever that day at school.

* * *

"How was school?" Nick asked stoically as Raven got into the truck.

"Great," Raven answered, her voice even, "It was gratifying."

"Gratifying?" Nick quirked his eyebrow as they drove off, "Don't you mean obnoxious and repulsive, like you always say?"

"No, I mean gratifying," Raven repeated, "Today wasn't a normal day. Shocking to say, but I was enjoying myself."

"Well the rest of today will be normal," Nick ruined Raven's moment, "Speaking on the fact that you have to go to work."

They pulled into the parking lot of Fat Ass Burger, and Raven's whole positive mood was ruined.

"I'll be back to pick you up later," Nick told her as she got out of the truck.

"Whatever, later," Raven shut his door, and trudged up the sidewalk and into the building.

Raven hated everything about this place: the smell, the food, her colleagues, the bathrooms, and the customers. Any and everything that has to do with Fat Ass Burger, is loathed by Raven Roth.

Raven went into bathroom and changed into her yellow 'uniform' work shirt, that had Fat Ass Burger in red writing on it. Prior to clocking in and taking her spot at the cash register.

* * *

Two hours later.

Raven stood there behind the cash register, with the palms of her hands resting on the counter, and her fingers grasping underneath it. Wishing that she was anywhere but there, when Kori, Tara, Gar, Vic, and Dick walked through the doors.

"What are you guys doing here?" Raven snapped at them.

"We were hanging out," Dick replied smirking, "And we got hungry, so we came to our favorite place to eat."

"Like I'm going to believe that bull-"

"Raven," her manager called from out of his office door, "What did I tell you about having to be nice to _all _the customers?"

Raven rolled her eyes, forced a smile on her lips, and clenched her teeth. "I'm sorry, what I meant to say was, welcome to Fat Ass Burger, home of the Fat Ass burger, may I take your fat ass order?"

Gar burst into laughter, while Vic, Tara, and Kori held there's in, and Dick felt bad for her.

"C'mon Raven," Dick cajoled her, "Take the rest of the night off and come with us. Please?"

"No," Raven refused in a whisper so her manager wouldn't hear her.

"Pretty please with cherries and ice cream on top?" Dick knitted his eyebrows together.

"I can't Dick," Raven whispered seriously.

"Please, I'm begging you," Dick gave her his award winning puppy dog eyes.

"Fine," she gave in, "But I'm not happy about it."

"Whatever, just come on before Gar pisses his pants," Dick pointed down to Gar, who was rolling on the floor laughing.

"I'm taking the rest of the night off," Raven told her manager, "I'll make up for it next week, I promise, but I have to go right now." She ran out from behind the counter before he could answer. She and the rest of the gang ran out of the restaurant and onto the parking lot.

The whole group came in Vic's Chevrolet Tahoe, so there was enough room for everyone. Kori sat up front with Vic, who was driving, Raven sat in the middle of Tara and Dick in the back seat, and Gar was in the very back with all of Vic's football things.

"Where am I driving to exactly?" Vic asked.

"The Paper Dragon," Raven answered.

"Chinese food?" Dick questioned, his eyebrow quirked.

"Yes, it's about the only kind of food I do like," Raven replied.

"I'm up for whatever," Dick agreed.

"Me too," Kori and Tara agreed simultaneously.

"What about you Gar?" Raven asked him monotonously.

"I don't care where we go, the faster we get there, the happier I am," Gar answered, "And next time, _you're_ riding in the back with all the jockstraps."

"Suck it up princess," Raven insulted him and he stuck his tongue out at her.

After about ten minutes of Raven and Gar's back and forth insults, they arrived at the Paper Dragon. Vic parked the car and they all departed from the vehicle and sauntered inside the restaurant. The lighting was dim, mostly because the red Chinese lanterns that hung from the ceiling, were the only things giving off light. The tables were slick black with red based settings. The walls were beige, but with the room being dimly lit, they looked more of a dark brown. The Paper Dragon interior has more of a gothic taste than anything, but also mature and elegant, which is why this restaurant is a appealing to Raven.

The group settled at a booth near the back. Dick was in the middle of Raven, who was on the outside, and Gar, who was nearest to the wall, on the left half of the table. While Kori was seated in the middle of Vic, who was right across from Raven, and Tara, who was right across from Gar, on the right half of the table.

The waitress brought them their menus and everyone began searching them, except Raven, she already knew what she was going to get.

"What would you all like to drink?" the waitress asked.

"I'll have herbal tea," Raven answered.

"Sweet tea," Dick and Gar replied simultaneously.

"Hong Kong Style Milk Tea please," Tara responded.

"Hibiscus tea," Vic answered.

"Strawberry bubble tea please," Kori replied.

"Okay, I'll be back in a second with them," the waitress told them before walking off.

"So Dark Vader," Gar insulted Raven slyly, "Tell us about yourself."

"Alright Gar the cowardly lion," Raven got him back and chuckles were heard, "I'll just start by showing you how naturally vicious I am."

"No no," Dick told her nervously, "We trust you, no need to prove that."

"You'd better be thanking your lucky stars, Logan," Raven glared at him, "You were two seconds away from being six feet under."

"Poor Raven," Gar sympathized, "She's always going to be a bitter old prune."

"At least I won't always be young and worthless," Raven insulted him through clenched teeth.

"Witch," Gar affronted.

"Munchkin," Raven scolded.

"Okay," Tara stopped them, "The waitress is coming."

"Here you are," the waitress gave each of them their drinks, "What would you all like to order?"

"I'll take Bagong Shan Tofu," Gar replied.

"Lomo Saltado," Raven answered.

"Mala Tang please," Kori responded.

"Roujiamo," Dick replied.

"Kung Pao Chicken," Vic answered.

"Mapo Tofu please," Tara responded.

"Okay, I'll be back with them in a minute," the waitress walked off.

"Tofu?" Raven asked Gar and Tara.

"I'm a vegetarian," Gar replied.

"I just like tofu," Tara answered.

"Tofu is the most repulsive thing on this earth," Raven opinionated, "Well, not counting that greasy cheeseburger and French fries bullshit."

"Also not counting your face," Gar chided.

Raven bit her bottom lip and forcefully shot him the finger, "Kiss my ass."

"I'd bet you'd like that, wouldn't you?" Gar turned it around her.

"You're asking for it Gar," Raven warned him.

"Is the ice queen getting upset?" Gar taunted her.

"You're just annoying her," Dick chimed in, "Mister now and forever a virgin. Now both of you knock it off."

Raven rolled her eyes and Gar huffed.

Kori nudged Tara, "Hey, who do you think would win in a fist fight between those two?" Kori pointed from Gar to Raven.

"That's easy," Tara answered, "Raven could kick is butt with both hands and her brain tied behind her back."

They giggled, and the rest of the table fell into laugher, excluding Raven, she just smiled.

"I honestly think my brother would like you two," Raven admitted.

"I think I know how we can find out," Tara got an idea. Kori was apparently on the same page, they both simultaneously turned and faced each other.

"Slumber party!" they shouted together and giggled.

"No!" Raven disagreed, "That's not what I m-"

"We can do each others hair and nails," Tara interrupted her.

"We can talk about boys and eat junkfood," Kori eagerly told Tara.

"No," Raven told them again, but they didn't listen.

"Stay up all night dancing and acting like idiots," Tara added.

"Oh this going to be so much fun!" Kori exclaimed and they hugged each other while giggling.

"Ugh," Raven dropped her head on the table, defeated, "Be at my house Saturday at seven," she mumbled.

"Yippee!" Gar yelled, enjoying Raven's misery.

* * *

End Chapter

How was that? Good? Bad? Leave me a review and tell me what you think.

Sorry the last chapter was so long, but hopefully I made up for that one with this one. This chapter was basically about the effects of Challenge Day, and everyone making an effort to change, but I promise for some drama in the next chapter.

By the way, Raven and Gar don't dislike each other, they just joke around. They don't literally mean any of the things they say to each other. That's just the type of friendship they have. But also, there is a line that they would never cross. For instance, insulting each others' family is crossing the line and they would never go there.

_Next time: Raven, Tara, and Kori have the slumber party, but they also have some unexpected visitors…._


	3. Slumber Party of Misfortunes

Hey guys, thanks for the reviews, enjoy!

Chapter three: **Slumber Party of Misfortunes**

* * *

"Kori and Tara are going to be here any minute," Raven stressed.

"It doesn't matter," Nick voiced unenthusiastically, "Just calm down before you piss yourself."

"Asshole," Raven muttered under her breath, thankfully unheard.

She and Nick both looked up at the door, simultaneously.

"That's them," Raven handed, or slung, the bag of chocolates she was holding, into Nick's stomach. Hecaught them before she let go and left the room, avoiding meeting Raven's new friends.

Raven pulled open the door and Tara's small fist fell to her side.

"Hey, girly," Tara smiled, "Like my jammies?" She turned in a small circle, flashing her simple loose long sleeve turquoise shirt with white shorts and colorful knee high socks.

"Uh...They're very cake and bubbles?" Raven offered and Tara gave her a puzzled look.

"Adorable," Raven clarified.

"Ooh! What about my P and J's?" Kori asked, and twirled around, clad entirely in silk pink pajamas and furry pink slippers.

"You look like a three year old," Raven shrugged, "And I hate pink."

"What about now?" Kori ripped open her buttoned top, revealing her bra of pink lace and gorgeous tan skin with rhinestone bellybutton piercings.

"Like a hot porn star," Raven corrected, "And now I'm in love with pink."

Kori chuckled and buttoned her shirt again, "And you look..."

"Like a mime," Tara finished for her, and snickered at Raven.

"What?" Raven asked, looking over herself; she was simply dressed in a fitted long sleeve black and grey striped shirt with black pajama bottoms with black socks.

"But a very cute mime you are," Tara chucked her chin and she stepped aside, and inside they came. Raven shut the door behind them, and watched as they looked around.

Her house was simple, classic beige furniture, oak piano and entertainment center, and a rug leading up the staircase.

"Wow," Kori complemented, "It's um…."

"Normal," Tara finished for her, "Not exactly what I expected."

Raven tucked her hair behind her ear, walking into the kitchen, not admitting that she was happy they liked it. "You guys can just put your bags on the couch, or wherever, I don't really care." She hopped up and sat atop the counter next to the stove.

Tara and Kori joined Raven in the kitchen; they stood behind the island, and Kori handed her a dish she had arrived with. Raven eyed it, and reluctantly took it.

"Uh," Raven pulled back the tinfoil it was poorly wrapped in, "Thank you Kori, for the….um….what is it, exactly?"

"It's my grandmother's special recipe for breakfast, lunch, and dinner all in one," Kori replied, smiling ear to

ear.

"Well then," Raven inhaled the fumes coming from it, and her eyes began to water, "I'll just put this in the fridge, and Nick and I will definitely enjoy it, later." She hopped down from the counter and stored Kori's "meal" in the fridge.

"And speaking of Nick," Raven dusted off her hands and placed them on her hips, "Where did he go?"

As if on cue, Nick came sauntering down the stairs.

Tara and Kori heard his footsteps, and they both turned simultaneously and their eyes found Nick.

'_Holy…..he's so hot,' _Tara thought, ogling him, with her elbow on the island, and head resting in her palm.

'_Sweet merciful Jesus…I've died and gone to heaven,' _Kori thought, imitating Tara's motions, but not purposely.

"Guys," Raven rolled her eyes as they mimicked every girl did when they met Nick, "This is my brother Nick.

Nick, this is Tara and Kori. And just out of curiosity, where were you?"

"Trying to avoid meeting your weird friends," he replied, striding to the kitchen, "Sup," he greeted them without even looking their way.

Tara's and Kori's eyes followed him the entire time.

"Hi, I'm Kori," she repeated.

"Name is my hey Tara," she breathed.

"Whatever," Nick rolled his eyes.

Tara and Kori sighed seductively, still ogling Nick while Raven and Nick exchanged annoyed looks, and Raven motioned for him to leave.

"Alright," Nick agreed turning and facing Tara and Kori, "Three rules: do not go into my room," he counted on his fingers and the two nodded, still in a daze, "Do not touch me; and most importantly," he began to drawl , "_Do. Not. Bother. Me._" and with that, he disappeared up the stairs.

"Wow," Tara and Kori breathed.

Raven snapped in front of their faces, and they came to.

"Is he single?" Tara questioned, gaining her composure.

"Get in line Tara. Not a chance, sorry," Raven replied, "One might say, he's…..How should I put this?….Impossible."

"You mean complicated," Kori corrected, "I'm sure I can nail him; have him on a string in an hour."

"Good luck," Raven told her, "He might as well live on a different planet. He's completely unreachable; stranded in the middle of nowhere."

"Well a girl can try," Tara disagreed.

"Whatever," Raven ended that conversation, "Let's go up to my room."

Raven moseyed up the stairs, Tara and Kori following in pursuit.

They all walked inside Raven's room to see that it was a normal teenager's bedroom, besides the horrifying posters plastered on the wall, but one would expect nothing less from Raven, and a few beanbags and pillows placed around the floor.

"Nice," Kori complimented.

"And normal," Tara added.

"Define normal," Raven challenged.

"Touche," Tara and Kori replied simultaneously.

"Damn," Raven cursed, "Food equals downstairs."

_Outside Raven's window_

"Alright guys," Dick strained, "They left, I'm going in." He looked down at Vic who's shoulders were underneath his feet and he was unable to see the slinky Gar, who's entire body was covered by Vic's bulky one. Once he got the okay nod from Vic, Dick pulled off the screen, and pushed up the window, which was unlocked. He grasped the inside of the window sill and pulled himself in.

"C'mon Vic," Dick ordered as he got back onto his feet, inside Raven's bedroom.

"Dude, I would complain, but I'm in no position to," Gar tensed, veins pulsating in his forehead.

"You're right," Vic pushed off of Gar's shoulders, and latched onto the window sill, and Dick pulled him in.

"I can't reach," Gar strained from the ground, trying to jump up and reach the window sill, but his attempts were epic fails.

"Jump, you idiot, jump!" Vic called out, he and Dick hanging their heads out the window.

"This meatball isn't going to get high enough," Dick said frankly, stressing.

"Hey! Vegetarian here!" Gar yelled, but was ignored.

"I'll hold your feet while you pull him up," Vic offered.

"Sounds like a plan," Dick agreed.

_Meanwhile in Nick's room_

_What the hell was that noise? _he thought, _Must be Raven and her annoying little friends. I guess I'd better go enforce the rules again._

Nick's seemingly weightless steps were soundless, so neither one of the guys in Raven's room heard him approaching. He appeared in the doorway of Raven's room, and saw two teenage boys pulling another teenage boy through Raven's window.

"Damn, Gar, you're a limp noodle," Vic insulted him, as he and Dick struggled to pull Gar through, "Hold on tighter to us."

Neither of them noticed Nick standing in the door frame with his arms folded across his chest, planning each of their deaths.

"It's not my fault," Gar disagreed, his eyes tightly closed and his teeth clenched, "I have my mom's," he huffed, "Upper body strength."

Nick cleared his throat to gain their attention. They all froze and turned slowly to see a young man clad in a black leather jacket and spiked jewelry, glaring at them as if he were a blood thirsty tiger and they were meaty antelope.

Vic and Gar screamed like terrified little girls, and Dick screeched "WHAT IS THAT?" at the top of his lungs.

_Downstairs_

Hearing a series of screams, bumps, thumps, and things being thrown and slammed violently into the walls, the girls abandoned what they were doing and bolted upstairs.

They quickly entered Raven's room, the source of the noises, and saw Nick standing there keeping three very battered and beaten boys within his grasp. Dick in his left hand by the collar, Vic in his right hand the same way, and Gar's throat under his right foot.

"What's going on?" Tara asked, blown away by what was in front of them.

"I found these prowlers sneaking in," Nick answered, glaring at Raven, "You want to tell me why that is?"

"I didn't have anything to do with this," Raven defended herself.

"She didn't," Dick strained, looking ashamed.

"Shut up!" Nick spat at him, fury was the only emotion visible on his face.

"You idiots!" Raven yelled at the three defeated teenaged boys, "What were you going to do when got in here?"

"We didn't really think it through," Dick answered, having second thoughts about their plan.

"Didn't I tell you to shut up!" Nick grimaced.

"Nick stop it," Raven told him, "Give me one reason why I shouldn't let my brother throw you out the window you came in?" Raven offered to the boys, her hands on her hips and a vein pulsating in her forehead.

"We just wanted to hang out with you guys," Gar answered, and Nick added pressure to his throat.

"We went through so much trouble just to do it," Vic added.

"Oh Nick, can they stay?" Kori begged him, her eyebrows knitted and her hands clasped together.

"Yeah, please," Tara added, mimicking Kori's notions, "Why should you deny them when they went to such lengths just to hangout with us?"

Nick turned his attention to Raven, "Should I take out the trash?"

Raven eyes shifted from Tara's and Kori's puppy dog eyes, to the bruised faces of her guy friends.

She sighed, "Let them stay," and gave in, and Tara and Kori cheered.

Nick threw Vic and Dick onto her bed, and added more pressure to Gar's throat, before lifting his foot altogether.

"Until midnight," Nick offered and eyed Raven as he made his way to the door. Hazel green eyes locked with amethyst ones. "I trust you to follow my rules," he told her before leaving the room completely, and she nodded. She shut the door behind him and turned swiftly to face the remaining teens.

"You guys should sleep in shifts," Vic drawled, rubbing the back of his neck. Kori sat next to him on the bed, smiled, and placed her hand on top of his. While Tara sat next to Gar, and handed him a tissue for his bloody nose and giggled when he coughed up blood and spit a tooth into it instead.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Raven snapped at the three male teens.

"We just wanting to hangout with you guys," Dick stood up from the bed and walked over to where Raven was by the door.

"Don't feed me that bull," Raven saw right through his lies, "You were spying on us."

"Alright fine, we were," Dick admitted quickly, he saw no point in denying it.

"That is the most low life," Raven glared at him, "Scummy, filthy, cruddy, demeaning, degrading, " he glare faded, "Sweet, kind, benignly, and benevolent thing anybody has every done for me."

Raven jumped into his arms, with her hands wrapped around his neck and he slowly and hesitantly wrapped his arms around her back, not any lower.

"What do you mean?" he asked, every other teen's jaw was dropped to the ground.

"I've never had anybody who actually cared that much about what I did or said at a sleepover," she answered, in her normal monotone voice, "Even though this is my first one, still."

They released each other, and Dick smiled at her.

"Well, what are we going to do until midnight?" Gar asked nobody in particular.

"I think I know," a very mischievous smile crept on Raven's lips.

_Forty-five minutes later_

In a circle, six very mischievous teens sat on the floor.

"Raven," Dick looked over to his left at her picked her as his next victim, after he'd just received a ridiculous dare from Gar, "Truth or dare?"

"Dare, and don't hold back," Raven challenged, crossing her legs at the knee sitting up tall on her black beanbag.

"Alright," Dick accepted her terms, and laced his fingers together behind his head, thinking, "I dare you to give Gar a ten second lap dance." He smirked and uncrossed his legs and sat up tall in his red bean bag, mimicking Raven.

Raven hopped up and made a beeline towards the door, but Dick was too fast, and cut her off. He stood between Raven and the door with his arms outstretched, guarding it so she couldn't leave.

"Are you really going to chicken out, Roth?" he tempted her, "Do you want to be known as the girl who was too cowardly to do a silly little dare?"

"I'll be damned if I do, Grayson," Raven turned back to the group of her chuckling friends.

"C'mon and give papa what he wants," Gar teased her from his spot on Tara's light green pillow and the chuckles became laughter as he shifted from lying on his stomach to sitting on his bum.

"There's going to be several funerals after this," Raven muttered.

Dick turned up the volume on his cell, and played Pose by Daddy Yankee. Raven shot him a death glare, and reluctantly began dancing on Gar's lap. The room turned into a loud chortle as Raven ground her ass on Gar.

The ten seconds went by slowly for Raven, and fast for everyone else, where as they were enjoying it.

"Alright, alright," Raven stopped the laughter after it was over. Slowly it died down, but giggles were still heard.

"Kori," Raven looked over at the all dressed in pink beauty who was sitting lotus position with her elbows on her knees and head resting in her palms, "Truth or dare?"

"I chose to dare," Kori answered unsure.

"Okay, I dare you, to wear your bra on the outside of your shirt for the rest of the night."

Laughter broke out, "Fine," Kori accepted.

She slipped out to the bathroom, and came back in with her pink bra over her silk pajamas.

Gar banged his fists on the floor, laughing hysterically and tearing up. Where as everyone else was giggling and chuckling, and Raven smirked.

"Now all we have to do is get Blondie over there outta her underwear!" Gar laughed, pointing to his left at the bubbly blonde who lay on her stomach across a light blue pillow.

"Alright Gar," Kori chose him as she sat back down, "Since you think it is so funny for me to have my undergarments on the outside, would you like to do the dare or the truth?"

"Dare," Gar chose after wiping away his tears.

"I give you the dare to lick my foot," Kori pointed to her average sized foot, her toenails painted with black tips.

"What?" Gar thought his ears had deceived him. Raven smirked, and everyone else laughed hilariously.

"That's correct," Kori smirked, "Lick my foot," she drawled.

"Fine," Gar pouted and scooted over to her.

Gar gulped, and opened his mouth sticking out his tongue. Kori giggled when he placed it on her foot, "Oh, it tickles!"

Gar slid his tongue over the entire area of her foot, and wiped his tongue off dramatically when it was over.

"Vic," Gar chose, maliciously glaring over at the football player who lay across Kori's furry pink pillow, "Truth or dare?"

"Dare," Vic answered as the doorbell sounded.

"That's the pizza guy," Gar smiled mischievously, "I dare you to flash the pizza guy and tell him that was his tip."

"Damn it," Vic cursed, "But I'm not pansy, so I'll do it."

Vic stood up and everyone else followed him downstairs to the front door. Raven motioned for everyone to duck down behind the table, and they did, while Vic opened the door.

"Eleven ninety-five please sir," the pizza guy handed Vic the pizza.

"Alright," Vic handed him the money, and pulled down his athletic shorts just enough to reveal everything he had to show.

Raven, Kori, and Tara blushed, while Dick and Gar covered their mouths holding in their laughter.

"That was your tip," Vic slammed the door in his face, and pulled his shorts back up.

Raven smirked, Kori and Tara giggled, and Dick and Gar sidesplittingly laughed. Raven drug those two back upstairs by the arm, following Kori, Tara, and Vic, who led the way.

"Alright," Vic began as everybody had gotten situated like before, "Tara, truth or dare?"

"Dare," Tara chose.

"I dare you to press your bare ass against Raven's window," Vic dared her.

"Okay," Tara accepted over the laughter.

She bent over and pulled her white bottoms and underwear down in the back, and pressed her naked butt on the window.

The laughter continued after she was done, and Raven gave her knuckle touch.

"Alright," Tara stopped the laughter by waving her hands, "Raven, truth or dare."

"Truth," Raven chose.

"Okay, what's the most rebellious thing you've ever done?"

"That's easy, I got a tattoo," Raven answered monotonously, and eyebrows were raised, "Nick still doesn't know, so don't tell him."

"May we see this tattoo?" Dick asked.

"Sure, why not?" Raven stood up and lifted the front of her shirt up, to reveal sort of an Ed Hardy flower vine right underneath her stomach, slightly covered up by her pajama bottoms.

"Dude," Gar drooled and Tara smacked him in the back of the head.

"Okay, enough of that," Tara pulled Raven's shirt back down.

"Okay," Raven's eyes shifted from each person sitting in the circle, "Kori, truth or dare?"

"I pick to tell the truth," Kori answered.

"Okay, what's the most outrageous thing you've ever done?"

Kori sighed, not wanting to admit it, "I…" she began reluctantly, "Once three way kissed with two guys."

"Gross," Dick commented, totally turned off.

"It is my turn," Kori ignored him, with a smile plastered on her face, "Dick, would you like to do the dare or the truth?"

"Dare," he always chose dare.

"I dare you to give a strip tease," Kori smirked, "Oh yes, payback basketball boy."

"Fine," Dick accepted, not even a little afraid.

He stood up and started dancing.

"Take it off baby, show us some skin!"

Every head turned towards the source of the sound, and saw Raven with her hands cuffed around her mouth.

She sunk down into the beanbag, and everybody laughed.

"Okay," Dick began to unbutton his shirt, revealing his washboard abs. He danced over to where Raven was, and grabbed her hands, placing them on his stomach muscles.

"Okay, I can't take it," Gar strained, nearly passed out from laughing so hard.

Dick stopped dancing, let go of Raven's hands, and put his shirt back on.

"Tara," Dick chose, "Truth or dare?"

"Dare," she replied.

"I dare you to go flirt with that psycho Nick," he dared her.

"Watch it Grayson," Raven warned him, "You don't want to rattle the gator's cage."

"No offense to anyone," he added, "Except Raven, offense intended," he muttered.

"Fine," Tara agreed when they had finished, "I'll do it."

"C'mon, she doesn't have to do that," Gar grabbed Tara's hand, stopping her from walking off.

"Yeah she does," Vic disagreed, "If I had to flash the pizza guy, then yea, she has to go flirt with the gator."

"Why do you care anyway?" Raven asked Gar suspiciously.

"I don't," Gar let go of her hand, "Go ahead, go flirt with the psycho."

"Gar," Raven warned.

"I mean, go flirt with the nice man," he corrected.

"Thank you," Tara headed for the door, followed by Gar, Kori, Vic, Dick, and Raven.

"He's downstairs at the piano," Raven told them, and Tara went into the living room, while the others peeked around the corner of the staircase.

Nick didn't look up, he really didn't care that she'd came into the room. He continued playing and singing _Hallelujah_ by Rufus Wainwright.

_I heard there was a secret chord,  
That David played and it pleased the Lord,  
But you don't really care for music do you?  
It goes like this, the fourth the fifth,  
The minor fall and the major lift,  
The baffled king composing Hallelujah,  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah_

His voice was pure and in tune, and amazingly unique. Tara was impressed, and so were all the teens on the staircase, except for Raven, she'd already known what Nick could do.

"Hello Nick," Tara scooted so close to him on the piano bench, she almost made him fall off the edge.

"Uh, go away," he told her stoically, not even looking up and continued to sing and play.

_Your faith was strong, but you needed proof,  
You saw her bathing on the roof,  
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you.  
She tied you to her kitchen chair,  
She broke your throne, she cut your hair,  
And from your lips, she drew the Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah_

"It's way too crowded upstairs," she refused, "Maybe I could just hangout down here with you?"

"Or you could go away," Nick repeated and continued with his song.

_Baby I have been here before,  
I know this room, I've walked this floor,  
I used to live alone before I knew you.  
I've seen your flag on the marble arch,  
Love is not a victory march,  
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah_

"Or I could find something to do down here with you?" she offered, placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Does your mother know you're saying this?" Nick shrugged her hand off, and continued singing, but this time, Tara joined in an octave above him.

_There was time you'd let me know,  
What's real and going on below.  
But now you never show it to me do you?  
And remember when I moved in you?  
The holy dark was moving to,  
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah_  
_Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah_

Tara's voice was surprisingly beautiful. Everybody was stunned, including Nick, who actually was impressed.

"Nice one," he complimented, and she smiled.

"Thanks," she remembered the dare, "And what happens at Raven's," she lowered her voice to whisper, "It stay's at Raven's."

"Raven, come get your horny little friend," Nick turned towards the staircase where he knew Raven and the rest of the group was.

"Tara!" Raven called her, "Shame on you. Come back upstairs."

Tara hopped up and ran to the staircase, where everybody except Raven and Gar were laughing hysterically.

"The dare was to flirt, not seduce," Gar pouted.

"Either way, that man is unreachable," Tara pouted back.

"You're not the only person who's said that," Raven admitted, "Now let's go back upstairs."

The group made their way back into Raven's room, and got situated like before.

"Okay," Tara eyed each player, "Gar, truth or dare?"

"Truth," he chose.

"What's the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you?"

"That's easy, my friends tricked me into thinking it was nude day at camp," he answered, shivering at the thought of it.

"Wow," Raven shook her head disapprovingly, "I've never met anyone who was that gullible."

"No, Gar," Vic corrected between breaths of his laughter, "Those were not your friends, they were jocks and your bullies, and I was one of them."

"Shut it Stone, you too Roth," Gar snapped at them, "Kori, truth or dare?"

"I would like the dare," she chose.

"I dare you to drink whatever I mix up," he offered.

"Fine, but it can not be repulsive and disgusting," she made conditions.

"Okay," he accepted and hopped up and made his way downstairs.

He reentered the room a few minutes later, holding a glass filled with a yellowish orangish liquid.

"What is in there?" Kori asked, appalled when he handed it to her.

"I don't know," he answered sitting back down, "I was blindfolded when I made it."

"Oh how gross Gar," Kori had a disgusted look on her face.

"You've got to drink it," Dick made it clear, "It was a dare."

"Fine," Kori pinched her nose, "Bottoms up," she gulped it down.

"That's revolting," Raven commented monotonously.

"Nauseating too," Dick added.

Kori tossed the empty glass to Gar, he caught the glass, "Okay," she gulped what was left in her mouth done, "Vic, a tell the truth or a fulfill the dare?"

"Dare," he chose.

"I dare you to make out with Raven's poster of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre," she dared him.

"Why do my dares always have to be perverted?" he asked, snatching the poster down from the wall.

"Because it's funny to watch you do perverted things," Raven answered.

Vic rolled his eyes, and mushed his lips against the poster.

"That's wild," Gar commented through his laughter.

"Okay, you may stop now," Kori pulled the poster out of his hands.

"Are you actually getting jealous of a homicidal maniac poster?" Tara asked suspiciously.

"No, I just didn't want Raven's poster to be ruined," Kori lied.

"Uh-huh," Raven eyed her suspiciously.

"Whatever," Vic changed the subject, "Dick, truth or dare?"

"Dare," he chose, not affected by the football star's suspected antics.

"Alright," Vic smiled deviously, "I dare you to put on Raven's bra filled with socks, and go flirt with Nick."

"Fine," Dick grimaced through clenched teeth.

Raven threw him one of her bras and two socks from her dresser. Kori and Tara put it on him, and Gar secretly photographed him.

Dick stood up and made his way downstairs.

They heard a serious of screams, thumps and bumps, and them somebody running hurriedly up the stairs.

Dick appeared in the doorway, alone and panting tiredly. The right sock was gone and that side of the bra was over his shoulder, his left shirt sleeve was ripped off, and there was a bruise on his neck.

"That's not a man," he told them in a terrified tone, "It's an animal."

For the first time since they'd known her, Raven laughed.

Dick went and sat back down beside the tickled Raven, and stared at her.

"You have a beautiful laugh," Dick smiled.

"Thanks," Raven's laughter died down, "We seriously need to leave him alone before we end up planning a funeral."

"New rule," Kori announced, "No more Nick dares, agreed?"

"Agreed," everyone replied simultaneously.

"Okay," Dick continued on with the game, "Tara, truth or dare?"

"Dare," she picked.

"I dare you to go commando for the rest of the night," he dared her.

Tara blushed, and chuckles were heard, "Fine."

Somehow, Tara slipped her underwear off without taking off her pants, and put them into her bag. After Raven smacked Gar in the back of the head for slapping Tara's ass, the game continued.

"Okay," Tara began, "Kori, truth or dare?"

"Truth," she chose.

"Do you have feelings for anyone in this room?"

Kori pondered, "Um, it's possible."

"Okay that's good enough," Vic changed the subject, "On with the game."

"Okay," Kori continued, "Dick, a truth or a dare?"

"Dare," he chose.

"I dare you to untie the drawstring on Raven's pajamas," she smirked, "Oh, and you have to do it with your teeth," she added.

Raven glared at her, and Dick chuckled nervously, while everybody else waited anxiously.

Dick scooted over to Raven's beanbag, and she uncrossed her legs. He placed both his hands on either side of her head, and she put her hands on his shoulder. He leaned down and clenched the drawstring between his teeth and pulled it loose.

Raven felt uncomfortable, and wanted to smack everybody and kick them all out. Then again, one part of her enjoyed it, and liked that uneasy feeling.

Dick on the other hand, was trying his best not to make Raven feel uncomfortable. The last thing he'd ever purposely do was invade Raven's bubble. But if he didn't do the dare, he'd be considered a pansy, and he didn't want that either. But still, he actually was enjoying the closeness he had with Raven at that moment.

As quickly as it had began, the dare was over, and Dick went back to his beanbag. Nobody really laughed because the position was so questionable, that it had made everything awkward, not humorous by any means.

Raven blushed and kept a smile from forming on her lips. Dick was seemingly unfazed. Where as everyone else had their eyebrows raised, suspicious looks in their eyes, and smirks on their lips.

"Okay," Dick cleared his throat, and ignored the looks from the rest of the group, "Vic, truth or dare?"

"Dare," he chose.

"I dare you to say that you love to wear pink thongs when you go out with the girls," Dick smirked, and chuckles were heard.

"Okay," Vic didn't really see the point in it, "I love to wear pink thongs when I go out with the girls."

"This is totally going on the internet," Dick laughed as he saved the video on his cell.

"That would be so degrading," Raven gave him a knuckle touch.

"Whatever," Vic rolled his eyes, "Let's get on with the game. Gar, truth or dare."

"Truth," he chose.

"Do you have feelings for Tara?" Vic asked.

Tara and Gar blushed madly, "Well….I uh…" he stammered.

"Just kiss her already," Dick ordered. Raven, a bit taken back by his forwardness, blushed as well.

Tara scooted over to where she was lying right beside him. She placed her hand on his chest, and planted a meaningful, gentle kiss on his upper lip.

"Aw," Kori clasped her hands together and knitted her eyebrows like she'd just laid eyes on a kitten, "How cute and sweet."

"Yeah yeah," Raven moved on, "Cute, sweet, cake and bubbles, it's all adorable. Let's just get on with the game."

"Alright," Gar kept his arm around Tara, "Dick, truth or dare?"

"Dare," he chose yet again, one might think he'd learned by now, but no.

"I dare you to nibble on Raven's ear," he smirked.

"Gar, I'll deal with you later," Raven glared at him, and there were a series of 'oohs'.

Dick scooted over to Raven, and they positioned themselves like before. He had both hands on either side of her head, and she had her hands on his shoulders.

He leaned down to where his mouth was right next to her ear and paused, not wanting to invade her person bubble. Raven closed her eyes, "It's okay, neither of us wants to be called a pansy," she whispered just audible enough so Dick could hear her.

The first thing Raven noticed was how intoxicating his scent was. The she felt was his warm breath that sent chills down her spine. And after an eternity, his soft moisturized lips gently captured her earlobe between them, before he pulled away altogether.

Raven's eye's fluttered open immediately after the dare was over, and she saw the stunned eyes, and dropped jaws of the other four players. Straightaway, she put her poker face back on and cleared her throat.

She looked at Dick, "It's your turn," she informed him monotonously.

"Vic," he began, his face straight, "Truth or dare?"

"Truth," Vic replied.

"Do you have feelings for Kori?" Dick asked, and every head turned to him, and an anxious look was in every eye.

"I….I uh say…..that's a um….potentially problematic…..uh question," he stammered.

Kori placed her hand on top of his, and gained his attention, "Just kiss me," she smiled.

The homecoming queen leaned in and planted a passionate kiss on the football star.

"Now that's sweet," Raven complimented stoically, "Cakes and bubbles."

* * *

End chapter

How was that? Good? Bad? What did you think of the dares? Were they good? Funny? Lame? Please leave me a review and tell me what you think.

-Gothicprincess


	4. Will You Say Okay?

**Thanks so much for all your reviews.**

Sorry I haven't updated my other story **Jump City High **in a long time. I'm having a major writer's block with it, so I hope that I'll keep you satisfied with this one. Don't worry though, I will continue as soon as I can.

This chapter was inspired by **Vanessa Hudgens's song, "Say Ok"**.Basically means that "When I'm hurt or confused, will you tell me it's alright, will you it's okay?". So I thought it was perfect for this chapter, you'll see why, *wink wink*. Anyways, on with the story. Enjoy!

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* * *

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Will You Say Okay?

Roughly three weeks later

It was Monday, and the six teens sat at the circle table together in third period. They were told to sit in silence, thanks to Gar, who royally pissed off the teacher.

Raven was secretly passing notes with Tara and Kori, while the guys were trying to read it, but they were too afraid of what Raven would do to them.

"Attention students," the principal's voice came on the intercom system.

Tara slipped the note into her pocket, and the group paid attention to the principle.

"As you all know, or some may not," she continued, "Student body president elections will be held next Friday. Eligibility requirements are: you must maintain at least a 3.3 grade point average, from this point on, any student who receives any disciplinary action will not be allowed to participate in the election, and you must be willing to accept all the terms of being the student body president."

Raven, Dick, Kori, Vic, Gar, and Tara all exchanged the same look, and planned something in their heads.

"Some of the terms include:" she continued, "Being on time to all classes, attending at least sixty percent of all school activities for the rest of the year, and being interactive with all students and faculty members."

Even more looks were exchanged between the six.

"The sign up sheet is in the main office, please feel free to enter, and have a great day," and with that, the principal finished.

"You guys thinking what I'm thinking?" Dick whispered, just audible so only they could hear him.

"That one of us should enter the election so that we may all receive the 'special treatment' that every student desires?" Kori whispered back.

"Yeah, what she said," Gar whispered.

"That's exactly what we should do," Raven whispered in agreement.

"But which one of us is going to enter?" Vic inquired in a whisper.

"How's about we take a vote," Gar offered, "And we can already count Raven out."

Raven bit down on her bottom lip and forcefully shot him the finger.

"I do not wish to enter, I already have too many things to keep in order," Kori admitted.

"Same here," Vic agreed, still whispering.

"And I just plain out don't want to," Gar admitted, whispering as well.

"I'm with Gar," Tara acknowledged.

"Okay, so that leaves me and Raven," Dick pointed out, "That is, if you want to do it?"

"Yes, I want to do it," Raven replied and eyebrows were raised.

"Then let the best man win," Dick smirked and Raven rolled her eyes.

"I vote for my friend Raven to enter," Kori chose, still whispering, "I would be most delighted if it was her who won the votes of the majority of students."

"One for Raven," Vic counted.

"Make that two," Tara added, "I agree with Kori."

"I vote Dick," Gar chose, "I don't want to witness the hell Raven's going to bring if she was the school's president."

Raven, once again, shot him the finger.

"Okay, one for Dick, two for Raven," Vic kept count on his finger.

"I vote for Dick," Raven admitted in a whisper.

"And I vote for Raven," Dick chose in a whisper as well.

"Two for Dick, and three for Raven," Vic counted.

"Okay Victor, it is you who has to make the deciding vote," Kori put pressure on him, "You have the option to vote for our friend Dick and tie the amount of votes, and have both of them run against each other. Or you have the option to vote for our friend Raven, and have her run for the president of the school."

"Thanks for not adding pressure, Kori," Vic whispered sarcastically.

"You are very welcome," Kori smiled ear to ear, not understanding his sarcasm.

"Okay," Vic ignored her seemingly foreign ways, "I choose….." Everybody's hopes escalated.

"I've got to go with…Raven," he finally chose in a whisper.

Raven smiled and shook hands with Dick, who wasn't a sore loser, in this case, but it was obvious that he was disappointed.

RRRRIIIIINNNNGGGG!

The bell ending third period rung, and Raven, Dick, Kori, Vic, Gar, and Tara stood up. Dick was the first out of them to leave the classroom; without saying goodbye, he took off down the hall.

"I'll catch up with you guys," Raven said to Tara and Kori grabbing up her bag before darting off after Dick.

"Hey," she was out of breath when she finally caught up with him at his locker.

"Hey," Dick greeted her back while turning his combination knob.

"I was thinking," she began monotonously, "If I'm going to be a candidate, then I'm going to need a campaign manager."

"I'm listening," he began to get even more interested as he threw books into his locker.

"You know, somebody to organize everything, get me a team of campaigners, and make people open to voting for me. But also to be my main supporter, and help me throughout the entire thing," she hinted stoically.

"And this applies to me how?" Dick teased her as he slammed his locker shut.

"Will you be my campaign manager?" she asked openly.

"I'd love to," Dick agreed, smiling and leaning casually against his locker with his arms folded across his chest, "And I can teach you everything you need to know to be a fierce candidate."

"You mean like, come over sometime?" she asked.

"Sure, why not?" he agreed turning to leave.

"Alright then, I'll see you soon," she smiled and dashed back down the hall.

* * *

"How was school?" Nick asked monotonously as Raven hopped into his truck.

"Good," Raven replied as they drove off, "I entered the student body president election."

"That's definitely a new one," he quirked his eyebrow and had a tinge of bafflement on his porcelain face.

"Yeah, we decided that one of us has to run so we can give each other special treatment," Raven explained colorlessly, "And I got the most votes from everyone so I'm going to run, and Dick's going to be my campaign manager."

"I wish you the best of luck," Nick told her as they pulled into the parking lot of their apartment building. They parked in the space right in front of their apartment like they always did.

"Thanks, I'm going to need it," they disembarked from the truck.

Raven unlocked the door, and she and Nick went inside.

Nick pounced on the couch and Raven made her way to the kitchen.

"Be careful in there," Nick warned her, "I just waxed the fl-"

THUMP!

Raven slipped and fell flat on her back on the other side of the island.

"I warned you," Nick, being the courteous person he is, walked over to help his sister up.

He held out his hand to her, and, extremely embarrassed and blushing, she took it.

"Thanks," Raven strained as he helped her back onto her feet.

Raven's shirt came up during the fall, revealing her tattoo. Nick, being the very attentive guy he is, noticed it.

"Uh, what's that?" Nick pointed to her stomach.

"Nothing," Raven hastily pulled her shirt down.

"No, that's a-," Nick folded his arms across his chest and took a breath to calm himself down; "You got a tattoo without my permission?"

"It was like three years ago," Raven backed up, preparing for his explosion.

"It doesn't matter, Raven," Nick stepped up so that he and Raven were the same distance apart as before, "Was I ambiguous when I told you that you couldn't get one? You deliberately disobeyed me."

"I'm sorry," Raven apologized.

"You're only sorry because I found out," Nick's tone was more stern, "You know, I can't believe you. Why in the hell would you do that, Raven, why?"

"Nick, it's my body and I'll do what I want with it," Raven folded her arms across her chest.

"You should have respect for yourself, Raven," Nick explained, his typically pale face began to turn red as an effect from his anger, "You were raised better than that."

"Exactly, I am seventeen years old Nick," Raven reminded him, her tone matching his.

"And you should be able to receive the consequences for your actions like a mature adult," Nick reminded her.

"You're the one who's being immature, damnit," Raven turned and began walking towards the stairs.

"Really, Raven? Really?" Nick stopped her with his words, "Am I the one running around flaunting a tramp stamp when I know I wasn't raised that way?"

"Then how was I raised Nick? How?" Raven stomped back into the kitchen, ranting as she did, "To be stereotypical and believe that every _girl _who has a tattoo is a tramp?"

"No, to be above the stereotypes, and not run around like a fucking WHORE!" Nick shouted forcefully.

"And you know who's shoulders that falls on? Yours and mom's," Raven pointed out, tears filling her eyes and her voice shaking.

"Don't bring mom into this, you know-" he paused, "No, it's nobody's damned fault but your own. But since Raven's always right, she can't admit that she was wrong for once."

"You're damn right I can't," Raven stomp off towards the stairs, "I will discuss this with you when you're ready to be reasonable, and stop acting like a big asshole!" she shouted before plodding angrily up the stairs.

"And you can talk to me when you're not acting like a little bitch!" Nick yelled, fuming mad and ready to kill someone.

"Fuck you!" Raven boomed, slamming her bedroom door shut.

"Back at you motherfucker!" Nick accidentally let that slip.

He stood there, breathing heavily and his hazel eyes moving back and fourth, sorting through the events that just occurred.

'_Damnit,' _he thought.

Nick realized that he'd gone too far; he'd crossed the point of no return. He had hurt Raven emotionally, which was by far the worst way for him to hurt her. Raven's tough, but piercing words are her weakness. Even though he did go too far, he's still outraged and tremendously disenchanted with Raven. Nick doesn't forgive anyone until they are truly sorry for what they did, and not only because of who found out.

* * *

'_I can't believe that stupid idiot_,' Raven thought angrily as she paced heavily around her room, and occasionally throwing her arms into the air.

She was extremely upset with Nick because he'd seriously wounded her with his words. Never during an argument with Raven has Nick gone as far as he did that night. The things he said to her were completely out of line. Raven has definitely gone too far multiple times in the past, but she never knew how it felt to be on the other side of that situation, until now. She felt disappointed at herself for doing it to Nick, and she was fuming mad at Nick for doing it to her, but also felt bad for him because of what she'd done to him in the past.

'_Fuck,' _she threw her arms into the air.

Raven was frustrated because she couldn't get her emotions together. Feeling all those emotions at once, or at all, is not really healthy for a typically stoic person.

"Okay Raven," she whispered allowed, her eyes closed, attempting to calm herself down, "Remember Challenge Day. Don't hold in your emotions, let them out."

She opened her eyes and knitted her eyebrows, "Question is," she took a deep breath, "How do I do that?" she pounced down on her bed and looked through the few contacts on her cell.

'_Gar's with Tara at the domestic violence shelter_,' she thought scrolling passed their names, '_Kori's at dance practice and Vic's at a football meeting_,' she scrolled passed their names, '_So that leaves Dick, hopefully he's in the mood for me to dump a pile of shit all over him_.'

She pressed the call button and put the phone up to her ear.

"Yeah," Dick answered, he was in his den doing his homework and playing Solitaire on the side with his laptop.

"Um," Raven began to speak in a normal tone, and to her surprise, her voice was shaking and very uneven, sounding as if she were about to cry.

"I…I need to talk to you," she blinked away her tears of frustration.

"I'm on my way," was Dick's reply.

Raven hung up and wiped her eyes, '_Damnit_.'

She waited about ten minutes, giving Dick time to get there, before grabbing her jacket and running downstairs.

"I'm going to meet up with Dick if it's okay with you," Raven offered to Nick, who was sitting on the couch with his hands laced together and one ankle propped up on his other knee.

"What does it matter what I think?" he replied not even looking up at her, "You're going to do what you want anyways."

Raven glared at him, but it was more disappointed than anything.

Nick knew he was on the other end of one of Raven's glares, but he didn't care.

Raven rolled her eyes and stomped out the door, slamming it loudly behind her.

She walked out on the parking lot to see Dick leaning casually against a black 2009 Cadillac CTS.

"Where's your motorcycle?" Raven asked, approaching him.

"At home, I wanted to piss dad off so I took one of his company cars," Dick replied smugly.

"Nice," Raven gave him a knuckle touch and they got into the car, Dick on the driver's side of course.

"Where do you want to go?" Dick asked caringly as they pulled out of the apartment building parking lot.

"A walk in the park sounds nice right now," Raven turned and looked at him.

"Your wish is my command," Dick made an illegal u-turn, thankfully nobody else was on that road.

The nearest and quietest park was about a ten-minute drive from where they were. Ten minutes of awkward silence between them and the sound of the heat blowing in the car.

Raven still wasn't big on talking, and Dick didn't want to mess up and say anything that might upset her, since she was in a sensitive state.

They pulled into the park's parking lot. The park itself was covered in a blanket of snow, but luckily for Raven, there was barely any ice on the wet concrete.

Dick put his keys into his pocket, before getting out of the car on his side and walking over to the other side of the car to open Raven's door for her.

"Thanks," she got out of the Cadillac, and the two stepped out onto the concrete. And began walking on the path that led all the way around the medium sized park and also through it.

They strolled around following the meandering path; Raven walking with her black jacket zipped up and her hands crammed into her jacket pockets, and Dick walking with his varsity letterman jacket zipped up, and his hands shoved into his pockets.

They ambled around for about twenty minutes, the empty park was tacit, and things between them were too. The only things audible were the rare passing of cars, and the very slight sloshing of their shoes in the thin layer water on the path.

"On the phone," Dick began, his voice calm and comforting, "You said that you needed to talk to me."

"Yeah, I do," Raven stared at the ground, "I got into an argument with Nick."

"About what?" Dick inquired, discreetly trying to meet her gaze, but she refused to look at him.

"He found out about my tattoo," Raven explained, "And he said that I was being whorish because I had one."

"Wouldn't that be considered stereotypical?" Dick unknowingly agreed with what Raven had pointed out earlier.

"Yes, it would be," Raven still didn't face him, "But Nick doesn't understand that, well I'm pretty sure he does, but he doesn't want to believe it."

Dick inwardly agreed.

"And he kept saying that I wasn't raised that way," Raven continued, still not meeting Dick's gaze, "Then I put the blame on him and mom, and he turned it back on me, and said that I can't ever admit that I'm wrong."

Dick tugged on the sleeve of her jacket, and they sat down on a park bench.

"Spiteful words were exchanged," Raven finished, "And I left with you."

"Words like what?" Dick asked, interested and concerned.

"Fuck you motherfucker, basically," Raven finally looked up at him, and revealed the tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry Raven," he offered his embrace to her, and she eagerly took it.

They sat there on the park bench; Raven sobbing into Dick's chest, and Dick with his arms wrapped around her, comfortingly.

"He crossed the line didn't he?" Dick asked a whisper.

"That line, the next line, _and_ the line after that," Raven answered, her voice extremely uneven, but calm compared to how it should sound.

"He didn't mean it," Dick told her knowingly, "He was just angry and in the heat of the moment, it slipped out."

His velvet voice vibrated in his chest, and soothed Raven.

She lifted her head so that their eyes locked, "Thank you," she sniffed, and a few remaining tears rolled off her face.

"You're welcome," Dick gave her a sincere smile, and she returned one.

Both of their noses were stinging red from the dropping temperature. Raven's teeth began chattering, and Dick noticed. He took off his varsity letterman jacket, he had on a light jacket underneath, and wrapped it around her.

She was enveloped in warmth and the strong pleasant scent of Axe.

"Thanks," she thanked him again and they stood up.

They walked around the park a couple more times and had a small snowball fight, before they got back into the car, with the heat on full blast. They stopped by the only teahouse in Jump City and they drank steaming tea to warm up. And lastly, they went back to Raven's apartment complex.

"Thanks Dick," Raven said taking off his letterman jacket and giving it back to him, "For everything, you're a good friend."

"You're welcome Raven," Dick put his big jacket back on.

She put her hand on his shoulder and gave him a meaningful look before exiting the Cadillac.

Dick waiting until she was inside to drive off.

* * *

"Raven," Nick came moseying down the stairs, "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too," she meet him halfway and jumped into his embracing arms.

"I didn't mean what I said," Nick admitted.

"Me neither," Raven mumbled, "And I understand what you said about not being raised that way. I was raised better than that, and I should never have gotten a tattoo. I'm sorry I didn't listen to what you said."

"It's okay," Nick released her, "You're not grounded, being disapproved of by me was enough punishment alone."

Raven smiled, and Nick returned one.

* * *

End chapter.

Wow, shortest chapter yet. Mostly fluff, I thought I should add some before Raven and Robin were officially together. **(Which they're not yet, be patient, it'll happen, this is a Rob/Rae fic) **Hope you enjoyed it. **Review and I'll update.**

**A/N:** I mentioned in the first chapter that when Raven and Nick argue, foul and spiteful things are said. Yeah, well I demonstrated that in this chapter, but think I overdid it just a tiny bit.** I hope I didn't make Nick seem like too much of an ass. Sorry if I had you wanting to beat the crap out of him, hopefully I made up for that with him apologizing and all.**

**Anyways, thanks to everyone who reviewed, and please continue to review.**

-GothicPrincess


	5. This Special Moment

Thanks for the reviews. Enjoy!

**This Special Moment **

* * *

"Raven!" Tara and Kori cried as they ran up to Raven.

"Tara, Kori," Raven said confused, "Hi."

"No," Tara informed her, "We just found out major news from Dick and Vic."

"Yeah, speaking of them, where are they?" Raven asked, knowing how Tara and Kori always overreacted, and the "major" news was probably not that important.

"Dick is with the basketball team, Vic is with the football team," Kori answered, trying to get back on the subject, "And Gar has not arrived yet. Now back with what we were trying to tell you."

"Alright, what's "so" important?" Raven asked sarcastically.

"Kitten," Tara drawled, "Is running in the election."

"Kitten?" Raven thought her ears had deceived her, "Kitten? I'm up against that blue eyed, bra stuffing, bottle blonde? She's running?"

"Yes!" Kori exclaimed, and Tara nodded worriedly.

"Who else is in the election?" Raven asked calming herself down.

"Nobody," Tara replied, "They all dropped out when Dick told everybody that Kitten was running."

"I can't beat her," Raven ran her fingers through her hair stressfully.

""Can't" never could do anything," Dick pointed out as he and Vic approached Tara, Kori, and Raven.

Kori and Vic hugged when he joined the group, and "hello smiles" were also exchanged between everyone, but Raven, who just made "hello eye contact".

"We can win this Raven," Dick encouraged her.

"We?" Tara inquired, her eyebrows raised.

"He's my campaign manager," Raven informed them, "And you guys are my campaigners."

"And as her campaign manager, I say we can and will win this," Dick said forwardly, "We will make Kitten drop to her knees and beg for mercy," he pounded his right fist into his left palm.

"How are we going to do that?" Raven questioned.

"You guys leave the scheming, the lying, and the deceiving to me," he instructed them, "Do as I say, and we'll run the best damn campaign Jump City High has ever seen."

"I wanted to run a clean campaign," Raven disagreed.

"And you will," Dick pointed out, "But, if Kitten pulls anything, I can assure you that we'll have something to fall back on."

"You mean like getting the dirt on the cheerleader to throw it in her face if she pulls out something on Raven?" Kori clarified.

"That's exactly what I mean," Dick agreed, "Now who's in, and who's out," he stuck out his hand.

"I'm in," Raven put her hand on top of his.

"I'm am up with that," Kori laid her hand on Raven's.

"Down with that, Kori, it's down with that," Vic set his hand on top of Kori's.

"I'm totally and completely in," Tara positioned her hand on Vic's.

"I don't know what we're agreeing to," Gar had just arrived at school, "But whatever it is, I'm cool with it," Gar put his hand on top of Tara's.

"Win on three," Dick directed them, "One, two, three."

"Win!" they shouted, throwing their hands into the air.

RRRRIIIIINNNNGGGG!

"You're going down, Roth!"

They turned simultaneously to see Kitten storming over to them from the other end of the hall.

"That's nice, Kitten," Raven replied and tried to walk around the blonde but was shoved backward, bumping into Dick, who grabbed her arm.

"Whatever Roth," Kitten sassed, "You might as well drop out now and save yourself the humiliation."

"We're not giving up," Dick chimed in, "We're in this till the end, so you go run your campaign the way you want, and we'll run ours, alright?"

"Whatever you say Dickiepoo," Kitten made kissy faces at him, and he looked disgusted.

"He's not interested," Raven glared at her, "Back off."

"No worries," Kitten turned her attention to Vic, who was holding hands with Kori, "I can always have Mister Stone Cold Cutie over here," she chucked his chin and he pulled his head away. Kori looked completely horrified, but she was too nice to say anything, but luckily for her, Raven wasn't.

"Go away Kitten," Raven shooed her away with a vain pulsating in her forehead, "Nobody over here is willing to catch a communicable disease."

Kitten glared at her and chuckles were heard.

"We'll see who wins the real prize," Kitten winked at Vic before walking off. Raven glowered at the cheerleader, while the others weren't intimidated by any means.

"I do not like the googly eyes that Kitten was giving my boyfriend," Kori knitted her eyebrows.

"Don't worry Kori," Vic put his arm around Kori and gave her squeeze, "You're the only girl I want," he kissed her forehead and she smiled.

"Why didn't she flirt with me?" Gar asked, confused.

"We're going to be late," Tara informed them and interrupting Raven, who was going to tell Gar why.

They all took off to their classes.

* * *

"Hop on Raven," Dick patted the back of his motorcycle.

"Where's your dad's Cadillac?" Raven asked, disgusted by the idea of getting on that motorcycle with him.

Dick was posted up on his Harley Davidson motorcycle, which was black and detailed with candy red flames. He was clad in his black and red Letterman jacket, and a helmet that matched his paint job.

"He drove it to work," Dick replied, "Now just get on and stop acting like a fairy princess." He smirked, knowing he had pressed a button.

"I am _not_ a fairy princess," she boldly swung her leg over the motorcycle, and Dick placed the extra black helmet on her head.

"Hold on," Dick revved the engine loudly.

"To what?" Raven asked, looking around but seeing nothing to hang on to.

"Me," Dick kicked up the kick stand, and sped off with screeching tires and a roaring engine. And just as he'd planned, Raven's arms laced around his torso, latching onto him, the exact way he wanted.

And also like he expected, Raven smacked his helmet as hard as she could without hurting her own hand, "You ass, you did that purpose!" she shouted, and he knew she was steaming.

"Yeah, I did," he smirked smugly.

"You cocky bastard," Raven ducked her head down behind his back, trying to block the cold air that was blowing directly in her face.

"I wouldn't be Dick Grayson if I wasn't one," he pointed out, "Now just hold on and sit tight, we'll be there soon."

* * *

Raven slung her helmet into Dick's lower stomach when they had finally arrived at her apartment complex as hard as she could.

"Thanks," he strained, hanging the helmet on the handle bar.

"You're welcome," Raven replied smugly, "Now come on so we can get this over with."

"Now how are you gonna win with that attitude?" Dick asked, following Raven to her front door.

"The same way I do everything else with this attitude," she replied, opening the door, "My way."

Dick rolled his eyes, and they went inside. Nick was sitting at his piano, singing the same song from a few nights ago.

They both knew not to bother him while he was singing, , so they just made straight for the stairs and up to Raven's room.

"What's first, Grayson?" Raven asked, pouncing on her bed.

"What you already know," Dick sat on the opposite end of the bed as her.

"You have to be confident," Raven told him.

"That's it?" Dick inquired, quirking his eyebrow.

"Umm…." Raven sorted through her thoughts, "Yep, that's it."

"Okay, well first things first," Dick began, "Rules; all you have to remember is, _Do not get in trouble_," he drawled.

"No promises, but I'll do my best," Raven agreed.

"Alright, well you have to be interactive; make friends to make votes."

"Got it, more friends, more votes."

"And from this point on, everything you do matters. Anything Kitten gets on you, she will use it against you, so, please, do not give her anything."

"Sounds simple enough," Raven approved.

"And you're going to have to give multiple small speeches, and one main and important speech, which will take place on election day. So we need to come up with your platform, and all the changes and things you'll make once you become school president."

"Well I already had the idea for a Be The Change group, you know like have an after school challenge day program," she answered.

"That's good," Dick agreed, "And what else, like why do you want to be the schools president?"

"Because I feel that with Raven Roth as the school's president, change will come, we will reach new heights, and we will succeed because we do believe," Raven replied impressively.

"Okay, I'm seeing some potential in you as far as making a speech goes," Dick received a smack in the arm from Raven.

"Alright, so you and I are going to write your speeches. Gar and Tara are going to make your posters and things. Kori and Vic will get you as many friend related votes as possible. All of us are going to publicize you. And of course, I'm getting the dirt on Kitten," Dick explained.

"Okay," Raven replied, "That's agreeable."

"Now, let me read your body language," Dick motioned for her to stand, "And I mean that in the least perverted way possible."

Raven stood on the other side of the room, facing Dick, who was still sitting on the bed.

"Go on. speech to me," Dick instructed her.

"Uh, okay," Raven held her hands together above her bellybutton, slightly slouched over, and didn't make eye contact with him.

"I am Raven Roth, and-"

"Stop," Dick stood up and made circles around her, "I see an uncomfortable," he turned her chin to where she was facing him.

"Uninterested," he stopped in front of her and straightened her shoulders.

"Insecure," he unclasped her hands from the side and continued making his circle.

"And diffident," her poked his fingers on either side of her waist and she straightened out her back out of surprise, "Teenage girl who doesn't have a backbone, and can't fend for herself."

"Thank you, captain subtle," Raven commented sarcastically.

"Now, sound as confident as you look," Dick stood in front of her, his arms crossed across his chest, as he observed and analyzed her body language.

"I'm Raven Roth," she continued, this time making eye contact with Dick, and keeping her posture the way he corrected it.

Halfway through her speech, Raven pointed at him, and he detected the wrongdoing.

"Stop," Raven froze, as Dick weightlessly walked up behind her.

"When you point," his breath brushed directly over her neck, only inches separated them, and he placed his left hand on her right shoulder, sending a soothing sensation through her body.

"Don't let your arm be erect, that means you're accusing somebody of something. Relax your muscles," he ran his right hand down her arm, loosening her tense muscles as he did.

His soft touch over her bare skin tingled and stimulated her nerves; she liked it. But her the stubbornness and denial deep inside wanted to say something, tell him to stop, but she couldn't speak, Dick had taken her breath away, they way only he could.

"Remember, body language is everything," she allowed his fingers to lace with hers, "You might as well shout what you're feeling to the world if you have negative body language," Dick turned his head, a smile on his lips, and he met Raven's enticing amethyst gaze.

He wanted to speak, and so did she, but when they opened their mouths, only tense breaths escaped, no sound.

Dick's left hand slid from her shoulder to her waist. Raven's eyes fluttered closed and Dick pressed against her back, and it was only taper thin between them. Raven leaned in and their quick deep breaths collided, before Dick's perfect blue eyes shut, and his soft lips captured hers between them.

Passion burned and lust flared. This very moment, this special moment, was one that some people would never experience. And Raven truly thought she was one of those people, but then Dick came into the picture and the whole story changed from there.

Dick released Raven's hand and snaked his arms completely around her waist, their lips never separating. Raven ran her hands through his jet black hair.

Soon after, Raven broke the kiss for the need of oxygen and she took him by the hand and led him to her black beanbag that she kept from the party.

He sat down on it and she positioned herself in his lap, where she fit perfectly, and they continued in a fierce make out session.

* * *

Raven and Dick had gone down downstairs to snuggle underneath a blanket on the couch and watch scary

movies, but they dozed off in the process.

They weren't lying completely down, but Raven leaned up against Dick with her head lying on his chest, and Dick had his arms wrapped protectively around her.

Dick awoke, startled, and his alarmed actions woke Raven too.

"What is it?" she asked, sleepy eyed and lifting her head from his chest.

Dick moved his arm from around Raven and looked at his wristwatch.

"Five am," he tried to shout but his voice was a broken whisper, "I'm like six hours past curfew!"

"Are you going to get in trouble?" Raven let up off of him so that he could put his shoes on.

"My dad's not worried about me," Dick bent over and tied his Nike Dunks, "But Alfred, the butler, is going to ground me until the end of the century."

"I'm sorry," Raven sat back and pulled her legs up onto the couch, "I didn't mean to get you in trouble."

"It's okay," Dick turned and kissed her goodbye on the mouth, "I'll see you tomorrow," he kissed her one last time before hopping up and leaving the apartment altogether.

"Later," Raven laid down on the spot where Dick had previously been sitting, and fell asleep with a smile on her face.

* * *

End Chapter

Well? What'd you think? Good? bad? **Leave me a review and tell me what you think.**

Shortest chapter so far. Mostly fluff in this one, but **I assure you for some drama in the next one. And it **

**won't only focus on Raven and Dick, I promise**.

Yayness! **They're officially together!**

-GothicPrincess


	6. The Campaign

Okay, so thank you everyone for your reviews, I really appreciate them. But anyways, just for you folks who might not know, the actually election isn't until the** next **Friday. So that's roughly two weeks for the campaign, which will be mostly in this chapter. Anyways, enjoy!

**

* * *

**

The Campaign

-The next Day

Dick picked Raven up that morning, and they sauntered inside the school, their hands laced together.

When they arrived, Vic and Kori were planning the next pep-rally together, while Tara was reluctantly helping Gar clean out his locker. However, they all walked over and met Raven and Dick as they came through the door.

"Well, well, well," Gar smirked, "The ice queen found her a king. Tsk, tsk, tsk, what is this world becoming?"

Dick and Raven both, simultaneously, gave him the finger.

"What do we have going on here?" Vic asked, his eyebrow quirked.

Dick and Raven glanced at each other before Dick answered, "Whatever you think is going on," he shrugged.

Kori and Tara gave them 100-watt smiles while Vic and Gar smirked.

RRRRIIIIINNNNGGGG!

The bell starting the school day sounded, and most of the students dispersed from the hallways, and into their first periods.

"I'll catch you guys later," Dick told the group.

"You're not coming to class?" Raven asked, them still hand-in-hand.

"Nope," Dick answered, "I told the principal that I was doing a 'documentary' on Kitty for her campaign and she excused me from my morning classes."

"Well, good luck," Raven filled the space between them, and planted a sweet goodbye kiss on his mouth, "And don't go too far," she warned him.

"I won't," Dick released her hand, "See you."

"Later," Dick darted off down the opposite end of the hall, and Raven followed behind the rest of her friends.

* * *

Wednesday after school

Tara and Gar were situated in the middle of Raven's living room floor, surrounded by opened and unopened boxes, each of them containing Raven's advertisement items, such as: shirts, buttons, posters, etc. Raven sat, very annoyed, on her couch, her arms folded across her chest, her legs cross, and a vein pulsating in her forehead.

"Could you guys please just hurry and get this done?" Raven inquired.

"Sorry," Tara stood up and dusted her skirt off, "When Dick ordered all this crap," she stepped over two large boxes, "He couldn't decide which design he wanted out of the two choices we came up with, so he got like a ton of each."

Dick and Raven had already decided that they'd get two different styled t-shirts, v-necks for girls and round necks for guys, but with the same design on each. But now they have four different shirts, each design on both types of shirts. And that also affected all the other advertisement items as well, except for the posters. There were already three different poster designs, courtesy of Raven, Vic, and Dick, who all designed them together.

"And what's the hold up?" Raven asked, even more irritated.

"Too many boxes," Gar strained, pushing a box across the carpeted floor, "And not enough upper body strength."

Nick had entered the room, just in time to see Gar struggling to move a box.

"Just give it here string bean," he single handedly lifted the box from in front of Gar, causing him to fall forward flat on his face.

"It's okay Gar," Tara kneeled down beside him and patted his back, "You're still my superman," she kissed him on the forehead and he smiled.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Nick sat the box on the kitchen table, "Raven, your phone's about to ring."

"I know that," Raven pounced down on the couch and pulled her 'about to ring' cell out.

They all watched as Raven talked to whomever was on the other line, and her face transformed to being a very clear "fed up with something" expression.

"Damnit," Raven sighed as she hung up.

"What happened?" Nick, Gar, and Tara all inquired simultaneously.

"That was my manager," she stressfully ran her fingers through her natural deep black hair, "I just got the cannon."

"He fired you?" Nick asked, monotonously, "For what?"

"Apparently he found that my behavior for the past few days has been extremely unacceptable," Raven explained.

"We'll just have to find you another job," Nick offered as Tara comforted Raven.

"Don't worry Raven," Tara reassured her, "It'll all work out."

"She's right," Gar sat next to Raven on the couch, "It will."

"What, no insult?" Raven asked him.

"Nah, I wouldn't kick a dog when she's down," Gar teased, and received a smack in the back of the head from Raven.

"Whatever," Nick maneuvered his way through the boxes, "Just hurry up and organize this crap so I can clean my living room."

"You're such a neat freak," Tara rolled her eyes as he sauntered up the stairs, exiting the room.

"C'mon you guys," Gar sat back down on the floor, "Let's finish this _before _the election is _over_."

Tara began unpacking the t-shirts. The first design that Dick chose was a black shirt, that read 'Everyone says…' on the front in red Allstar letters and 'Vote Raven for Prez!' on the back in the same color and font. He thought it would be smart to go with the school's colors, but Raven disagreed, which is part of the reason why he ordered two different designs.

The second design was a white t-shirt that bore a black and white picture of Raven (that Dick had to give her a visit from the 'tickle monster' for her to smile for) on the front. And 'Vote Raven for Prez' was plastered on the back in navy blue Aristocrat letters.

Raven began unboxing the badges. On each, there was either the same picture of Raven that was on the shirts, or Vote Raven for Prez in red Allstar letters with a black background.

Gar began taking out the large printed posters. The first poster design (created by Raven) had a black background with red and blue glitter stars and Raven Roth for Prez in white Gothic style letters. The second design (courtesy of Dick) had a red background with 'Everyone says, vote Raven for Prez' in metallic black Varsity styled letters. The third poster (designed by Vic) was a hand drawn portrait of Raven that Dick had the shop copy and print on each of those posters.

* * *

Thursday morning

Raven and Dick strolled inside the school, hand-in-hand (they came extra early so that they could campaign). Raven was sporting the shirt with her picture on it, and a black and red badge. Dick is wearing the black and red shirt, and a badge with Raven's picture on it. They made their way over to their friends, who were busily campaigning.

Kori and Vic were handing out Raven's items randomly to the students as they passed by. Kori was togged up in the v-neck styled shirt that bore Raven's picture, (she had it tied in the back, revealing part of her tiny tan stomach and bellybutton ring) and a badge with Raven's picture on it also. Vic was also wearing the items with Raven's picture on them.

Gar was carrying a load of posters, following in behind Tara, who was randomly hanging up the posters. Both of them dressed in the black and red advertisement attire.

Only Tara noticed Raven and Dick come into the building, and she momentarily stopped what she was doing to greet them.

"Good morning guys," Tara acknowledged them with a warm smile on her lips. Raven and Dick came up to them, and gained Gar's awareness.

"Morning Tara, Gar," Raven greeted them monotonously.

"You guys are doing an awesome job," Dick commented, "Keep it up and I think I'll be able to get Raven to have a salad bar put into the Caf."

"Dude, that would be totally wicked!" Gar exclaimed and Tara giggled at his exclamation.

Gar's shouting drew the attention of Kori and Vic, and they approached the rest of their friends.

"Good morning friends," Kori greeted them, smiling ear to ear.

"Hey Kori, Vic," Raven said, still clinging to Dick's hand.

"You guys are doing fantastic," Dick complimented, "Keep it up, and I'll see if Raven will let me arrange a sports banquet."

"That would be glorious!" Kori yelled and latched onto Vic's arm.

"Yea," Vic said smiling, "What she said."

"Hey dude," Gar directed to Dick, "What did you get on Kitty yesterday?"

Tara and Dick smiled very mischievously, "Kitty isn't as real what she seems to be," Tara hinted.

"Wait, wait, wait," Vic was confused, "Tara was in on it?"

"I snuck into the girls' locker room for Dick during Kitty's cheer practice," Tara explained, pulling Dick's red JVC camcorder out of her purse, "And this is what we found out."

Tara opened the side screen and everybody crowded around to watch the video play.

Kitty appeared on the screen, seemingly alone in the girl's locker room, but it was pretty obvious that Tara had been inside one of the lockers. She was wearing her red and black Varsity cheerleader cheer sweats. She stretched her arms up high and bent over to touch her toes, like she was priming herself for practice. But the awkward part was when Kitty began to fan her breasts! She reached inside her jacket and pulled out two rubber trial implants.

Tara closed the side screen and mostly everyone was cracking up, but Raven, who looked disappointed.

"You're only playing that if she does something to down on me," Raven told Dick in particular, who was still hanging onto her hand.

"Okay, Raven, but we got something else on her too," Dick admitted, "Actually I got a lot more things on her."

"Well here's this one," Tara opened the side screen again, and everybody crowded back around to watch.

Kitty appeared on the screen again, but this time she was jogging in her cheer sweats down the icy streets of Jump City. Her breath was visible as she sung along to the music that her iPod was playing.

She jogged up to the doorstep of a house that was located in the very recognizable and expensive Morning Side neighborhood. She rung the doorbell and a blonde teenage boy opened the door.

"What do you want, Kitty?" he asked, seemingly annoyed.

"You know what I want," Kitty batted her eyelashes and rubbed up and down his arm, "The same thing I've always wanted. Me and you," she purred.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," the boy shrugged her hand off, "Down Kitty."

"C'mon, you know you want it," Kitty tried to plant a kiss on him, but he weaved out of the way.

"I'm your cousin, Kitty!" he shouted, turning to leave, "That's disgusting!" he slammed the door shut in her face.

"What mom doesn't know won't hurt her!" Kitty shouted, attempting to change his mind, to no avail.

"Damnit," Kitty sighed, and continued jogging.

Tara shut the side screen, and mostly everyone was laughing, except for Kori, who was confused, and Raven, who was completely disgusted.

"That's repulsive and disturbing," Raven commented.

"Please, what is the humor in Kitty being denied by her cousin?" Kori inquired.

"That's not the funny part Kori," Vic explained to his foreign girlfriend, "The funny thing is the Kitty is completely desperate and nobody wants anything from her."

"Oh, I see," Kori understood, smiling ear to ear.

"Are you like, not from around here?" Gar asked her, curious.

"She's originally from Honolulu, Hawaii," Vic explained, putting his arm around Kori and giving her a squeeze, "She grew up there speaking their language and learning their ways. But she moved here to Jump City in eighth grade because her dad found an awesome new job and is now the boss of the company."

"So that explains your exceedingly tan skin," Tara reasoned.

"And the way you talk," Raven finally got it, "You were taught thoroughly proper English."

"Precisely!" Kori cheered.

"Okay, so now that we all understand what's wrong with Kori," Gar changed the subject, and received a death glare from Raven, "Let's move on with the dirt on the cheerleader. Dick, what else did you get?"

"Well," Dick momentarily released Raven's hand, and dug into his backpack. He pulled out a handful of pictures and handed them to Raven.

"Where'd you get all these?" Raven inquired, taking the pictures.

"Mostly online," Dick answered, "Quite a scandal actually."

"And you are the scandalmonger in this situation, Dick?" Kori asked.

"Actually, yes, I am," Dick replied.

"Okay, she's making out with guy," Raven explained each picture as she flipped through them, "Cheating on a test, smoking a cigarette, sleeping with another guy, sleeping with a different guy, sleeping with _another _guy, sleeping with a _different _guy….okay, so I'm getting the vibe that she's a whore."

"And you are correct," Dick confirmed, "Vote for Kitty, or also known as the easiest piece of ass in all of Jump City."

Raven rolled her eyes and gave Dick back the pictures that were all basically the same thing.

RRRRIIIIINNNNGGGG!

"Kori, Vic," Raven said, "See you guys later. Let's go guys."

Tara, Gar, Raven, and Dick made their way to history class.

* * *

Friday afternoon

Raven had a total of three hundred forty-seven supporters out of the six hundred and eighty-three students who attended Jump City High. And Kitty had three hundred twenty-one supporters, which meant that it was still anybody's win.

* * *

Saturday evening

Raven, Dick, Tara, Gar, Vic and Kori, all lounged around in Dick's den, enjoying their extremely well-earned day off.

Dick dwelled in the Wayne Mansion¾ one the biggest and most luxurious homes in Jump city¾ with his father (Bruce Wayne), the butler (Alfred), and the housekeeper (Abigail). Dick had a very good relationship with Alfred and Abigail, they both basically _took _care him (seeing as he is nearly eighteen years old, and really doesn't need as much guidance).

The Wayne mansion includes five rooms for each member of the family (Dick, his dad, his little sister's old room, that nobody ever goes in except to dust, Abigail's room, and Alfred's room) and the other six bedrooms are guestrooms, two kitchens, a den, two game rooms (one for board games such as pool and table hockey, and another for video games), two living rooms, two dining rooms, an indoor gym, an indoor pool, and three family rooms. That's a grand total of twenty-five rooms. Some more used than others.

The den was basically the most frequently used room, besides the kitchen. Dick always lounged around in there doing his homework or whatever. He never hung out with his dad, so the living rooms and family rooms were seldom used. The team sometimes came over and practiced in the indoor gym. Dick uses it the day before a game to practice, or when he gets into one of his "I'm pissed so I'm going to angrily play basketball" moods, he uses it. Dick only went into the videogame room when he had friends over, and the other game room as well, so they were used sometimes.

"So what's going to happen if Raven wins the election?" Tara inquired. She was casually lazing on the loveseat (which was to the right side of the room when you first walk in) with her legs tucked sideways underneath her bum. Gar was stretched all the way out next her, with his head resting on her knee.

"I don't really know," Dick answered truthfully, "Nobody will until we actually see what type of school president she is." He was outstretched in the extra large recliner (which was to the right of the loveseat, or directly in front when you first walk in), with the footrest out, and Raven was lolling next to him, his arms wrapped around her.

"Raven will be an excellent president, yes?" Kori questioned, a little confused by what Dick really meant. She was stretched out on the long couch(which was to the right of the recliner, and on the left side of the room when you first walk in); Vic behind her, and them snuggling affectionately.

"Of course she is Kori," Dick replied, "But what I meant is, we won't be absolutely sure of what changes will come until she's really school president."

"So you are not implying that Raven will be a terrible president and bring awful changes to Jump City high?" Kori double checked.

"Absolutely not," Dick clarified.

"So who's going to be in the student council?" Vic questioned.

"That's easy," Raven replied, "Dick's vice president, Tara's secretary, you're historian, Kori's treasurer, and Gar's hall monitor."

"What? Hall monitor is not apart of student council," Gar disagreed.

"It's either that or bathroom attendant," Raven offered.

"You know, I think this is why there's always a cold chill before you enter the room," Gar insulted her.

"Tree hugger," Raven came back.

"Tree killer," Gar returned.

"Anyways," Tara stopped them from arguing, "When is Raven giving her first speech?"

"Dick and I reserved her some stage time in the Caf. on Monday," Vic replied.

"You did what?" Raven queried.

"Stage time," Vic repeated, "You've got five minutes. Dick and I, being the captains of the teams who have been state champions for two years in a row, convinced the cafeteria monitor, or otherwise known as the head coach of all teams, to give you some stage time."

"And I _have_ to give this speech?" Raven double checked.

"Yeah, I mean, there's only so many votes that we can get you," Dick clarified, "The rest you have to get by convincing people that you're the best candidate."

"Raven, are you uncomfortable with this idea?" Kori inquired.

"No, I'd just rather not do it," Raven responded.

"C'mon Raven," Tara disagreed with her, "You got up and spoke in front of everyone at Challenge Day by choice, and now that you have to do it, you don't want to."

"Whatever," Dick changed the subject, "Let's talk about something else, like the Jump City Titans coming in first at the football tournament last month."

Vic and Dick started an immediate conversation on how spectacular the school's teams were.

* * *

Monday at noon

"Just breathe Raven," Dick told Raven, "You'll do fine, I promise."

Raven's stage time was only one minute away, and she was nervous. Not extremely nervous, in fact, if you didn't know her, you'd think that she was actually very calm. But her friends knew that Raven was worried because she had popped her knuckles three times since that morning, she choked on her words once, and she hadn't insulted Gar all day. Three extremely rare things for her.

"Dick's right," Tara acknowledged, "Just go out there and do your best."

"Yes Raven," Kori rubbed her shoulder, "Just try to not think about how bad it would be if you _completely humiliate _yourself. And the number of people that are just going to be staring at you like a hungry shark stares at a fresh piece of fish. _And…"_

"Okay Kori," Dick ushered her a few feet away, "I think that's enough of your pep talk."

"Oh and no pressure, Raven," Kori added, a 100-watt smile plastered on her face.

"Thank you, Kori," Raven said sarcastically.

"You are very welcome," Kori returned, "Oh yes; you have five seconds until your stage time begins."

"Don't worry," Dick stood behind her, running his hands comfortingly down her arms, "It'll all be fine. Just remember everything that I told you, everything you've learned. I know you can do it, Raven, I believe in you."

"Thanks," Raven turned her head to face him, she planted a gentle kiss on his upper lip.

"….here's Raven Roth!" Vic finished his introduction for Raven, and gestured towards the curtain. Raven took a deep breath, and began walking from behind the curtain and towards Vic.

Vic hugged her when she reached him and the microphone, "Knock um' dead champ," he whispered before jogging to the right, backstage and behind the curtain, but all of them were still visible from where Raven stood.

Raven adjusted the microphone from Vic's skyscraper height to hers, and stood in the correct posture that Dick showed her.

"Well," Raven cleared her throat, and turned her head, looking over at Dick and the others.

Dick mouthed "You can do it Raven" and gave her an encouraging smile. Vic and Gar gave her two thumbs up, and Kori and Tara gave her ear to ear smiles.

"I'm Raven Roth," she continued, a smile on her face, and making eye contact with the audience, or her classmates.

"And I want to be your class president," her voice was confident and headstrong, "Some of you might inquire why? At first, my friends and I decided that I should run for merely popularity reasons and such. But now, it's entirely different. I previously thought this school was the most repulsive and obnoxious thing on this entire planet. But now, realize that love Jump City High, and mostly everyone in it."

Kitty was among the members of the audience, giving Raven death glares (of course, they were no where near as intimidating and frightening as Raven's. As a matter of fact, they were more comedic than anything). Kitty had absolutely nothing on the Goth girl standing before her. Which royally pissed her off. But, the fact that she couldn't find anything truthful that downed on Raven, meant that Kitty would stop at nothing to find something. Even if it meant making something up.

"And I honestly do believe that me being class president will bring change to this school," Raven proceeded, "The cliques have already been broken, but there still are problems going on within these halls. And I intend to solve them, if you give me the chance."

'_She's doing awesome,' _Dick thought, _'All our hard work is definitely going to pay off. That's my girl.'_

"If I am elected school president," Raven continued, "I will form what I like to call a Be The Change group. It's an after school program that allows all of us to open up with each other, and have somewhat of a Challenge Day on a regular basis. To be able to feel that same fuzzy feeling, that power, and not be ashamed to be one hundred percent real."

'_Okay, she's doing fine Vic,' _Vic calmed his nerves, _'My little girl is doing fine. Oh I'm so proud! That's my baby girl up there!'_

Raven and Vic had more of a big brother/little sister relationship. He's protective over her, and she has his back and looks out for him. But they can also get together and have a nice time because of the way they get along.

"Challenge Day has made remarkable changes to JCH," Raven proceeded, "And also to the students that attend it. I most definitely have made dramatic changes. I've transformed from being an ignorant, aggressive, person who blocked everyone out and put everyone down, to being an open-minded teenage girl who's not afraid to try new things and wants to make more friends."

"But she's still pushy and aggressive," Gar whispered, and Tara nudged him.

"…..And on top of all those reasons," Raven was wrapping it up, "You should vote for me because, everyone says, vote Raven for Prez. Thank you."

Her classmates applauded her, and she proudly—but not too noticeably proud— walked back behind the curtain, where she was engulfed in a big group hug.

"Good job Dark Vader," Gar congratulated (and also insulted) her when the group hugging had ceased.

"I'll let it slide this time," Raven said, "But next time, your ass is mine." Gar stalked off (a little frightened), and Tara, Vic, and Kori strolled up to her.

"You were tremendously magnificent Raven!" Kori cheered.

"You were fantastic baby girl," Vic praised her.

"Awesome job Rae," Tara complimented.

"Thanks guys," Raven gave them another hug, and they ambled off to go have their lunch. She turned to see Dick standing there behind her, casually waiting to congratulate his girlfriend in private.

"Well?" Raven asked monotonously, but somewhat anticipatorily, "How was I?"

"You were remarkable babe," Dick embraced her in a warm, affectionate hug, "I couldn't have done it better myself."

"Thanks," Raven pulled back, only to have Dick suck her back in and capture her in a very passionate, congratulatory kiss.

* * *

End Chapter

So, my dear readers, what'd you think? Did you like it? Please review, tell me what you think, and I'll update sooner.

Well, this chapter was mostly the events that will lead to what happens in the next chapter. But I thought it was a pretty decent chappie.

-GothicPrincess


	7. Election Day!

Hey guys, thanks for the reviews. Enjoy!

**Election Day!**

Friday

All the classes were shortened, due to the fact that the election was on today, and it would be during the time left of that school day.

Kori, Vic, Gar, and Tara had been campaigning their butts off. They'd been working exceedingly hard and diligently. They made it completely unambiguous that they wished for Raven to win the election.

Raven had been interacting with her colleagues and making more "friends" to get more votes. While Dick had been occupied with arranging, organizing, and planning the rest of the election.

The final speeches would be given in the auditorium, and voting would take place immediately after.

Raven, Dick, Gar, Tara, Kori, and Vic were all backstage, helping prepare for the final event in the campaign, the election. Kitty, her campaigners, and all of the other unnecessary members of her team, were backstage as well. But Raven and her team were trying to stay cool and ignore her by keeping a distance and staying in their designated area of backstage. But Kitty had other plans…

"Well, well, well," Kitty approached them, "I see they still haven't taken out the trash."

Everybody looked over at the blonde cheerleader coming up to them.

Raven forcefully turned on her heels, and grimaced at her opponent, "Look, I don't want to argue with you," she warned through clenched teeth, "Nor do I want to kick your ass, but I will. So go ahead and say what you have to say, and I'll do what I have to do."

Dick stood behind Raven and held her back by her forearms.

"No Dickiepoo, let the untrained beast go," Kitty affronted, "I have a tranquilizer gun in my purse."

"Kitty," Kori began in her sweet little kiddy voice, "It is immensely unethical and juvenile for you to be insulting Raven just because she is your opponent and has a chance at winning this election."

"You stay out of this you oversized powerpuff girl," Kitty hurt Kori's feelings and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Leave her alone," Tara took up for Kori, "She has absolutely nothing to do with this. Now go away before I open up a can of whoop-ass on you, bitch."

"Whatever," Kitty rolled her eyes and turned to Vic, "When you're ready for a real woman, come talk to me, I'll be ready," and with that, she sauntered off.

"Kitty is very rude and disrespectful to me, and I do not appreciate it," tears rolled down Kori's cheeks.

"You've got to learn how to stand up for yourself, Kori," Tara rubbed her back comfortingly, "You can't just let people run over you."

"Speaking of standing up for yourself," Vic said, embracing an upset Kori in his arms, "When did you get so assertive?"

"The domestic violence classes have really taken effect on her," Gar answered, taking Tara's hand in his.

"Well that's awesome," Dick changed the subject, "But anyways, we need to get focused."

"He's right," Raven agreed, "Focus. Eyes on the prize. In it to win it."

"Just go out there and do your best Raven," Dick embraced her, "No matter what the turnout is, we won't love you any less."

"Thanks," Raven kissed his cheek.

"Blow um' away baby sis," Vic hugged her.

"I will big bro," Raven patted his shoulder in gratitude.

"Good luck girl," Tara hugged her.

"Thanks, I'm going to need it," Raven smiled, and Tara returned one.

"Go and knock the shoes off of them, Raven," a little less upset Kori embraced her in a bone crushing hug.

"Socks Kori, it's socks," Raven strained, escaping from her death grip. Kori smiled and skipped over to Vic and the others, and Gar approached her.

"Uh…" Gar pondered, "Just…..uh…..go and….um…"

"Do great?" Raven inquired.

"Um…no…what I meant was," Gar stopped stammering, and reluctantly embraced Raven in his arms.

"Thanks," Raven thanked him.

"Okay," Gar pulled away, "Enough of that, and if you speak of this, I'll deny it."

"Speak of what?" Raven queried, seemingly confused.

"Exactly," they knuckle touched.

"Raven," Dick said, "It's time for you go onto stage. Kitty's speeching first, which isn't an advantage, but it isn't a disadvantage either, so don't be discouraged."

"Okay," Raven breathed deeply.

"It'll be okay," Dick kissed her forehead, "Don't worry," he gave her little nudge, and she sauntered onto the stage in front of a full auditorium.

Her seat was about a foot away from Kitty's, which was disappointing, but she didn't make it known that she and Kitty weren't exactly at ease. The Superintendent, the principal, and last year's school president, were seated to the right of Kitty, who was to the right Raven, who was on the very end on the far left. The microphone was directly in front of their seats, and a projector screen was posted on the wall behind all of them.

Raven sat, legs crossed, listening to Kitty suck up to the other three on the stage, and waiting for the election to finally begin.

At three o'clock sharp, the principal stood up, silenced the room, and began speaking into the microphone.

"Good afternoon class," she greeted them, "Today is a very important day at JC High. We will be electing our 2010 school president. The way it will work is, after all candidates have given their final speech, you will be called into the foyer, where there are three private booths, by rows to vote. If for any reason you mark more than one vote on your sheet, you vote will be void and will not count…"

Kitty's mind began to wander as the principal named off the rules of voting, _'Roth is so going to regret every putting her name down on that sheet,' _she grinned menacingly, '_I'm going to melt that evil witch if it's the last thing I do, and her little friend Kori too. I have no idea what Mr. Stone sees in her, she's just an immature, bottle sucking, lollipop holding, pacifier owning, little girl.'_

"…Bear in mind that this is not a popularity contest," the principal finished naming the rules, and began giving tips on voting, "This is where you decide who is the student leader of the school and it should be taken seriously…."

Raven's mind drifted off, _'I wonder what Kitty McBitchy is planning over there,'_ Raven had noticed the ominous grin creep it's way onto Kitty's lips, and being the wise and sophisticated girl she is, Raven knew something was up, and she was suspicious of the cheerleaders suspected antics.

'_I just hope she realizes that I came very well prepared,' _Raven reasoned.

"…And now, students, I present to you, Mrs. Katherine "Kitty" McClure," the principal gestured towards Kitty before applauding along with the rest of the audience, including Raven.

Kitty stood, smiled and waved, and wiggly walked up to the microphone.

"Hey everyone," she waved and smiled as pictures were taken and the applauding continued.

"I'm Kitty McClure, or otherwise known as..."

'_The biggest whore in the school,' _Raven finished that sentence in her mind.

"Captain of the cheer squad," kitty giggled, "Go Titans," she cheered and the audience giggled with her.

A slideshow of Kitty was playing on the projector screen at the back of stage. There were pictures of her randomly appearing on the screen, most of them from her childhood.

"Well, I want to be the school's president," Kitty continued, "You should vote for me because I'm cool, I'm fun, I'm outgoing and headstrong, I'm athletic and strong…"

'_Don't forget easy,' _Dick added mentally.

For the more clever students at JCH, it was pretty obvious that Kitty would be able to get a nice guy if she didn't throw herself on them. She wasn't hideous nor was she Ms. America, so the only thing holding her back is how whorish she is. And everyone knows that boys want what they can't have, and if the prize was easy to win, it's not special or worth keeping around for awhile.

"…And most importantly," Kitty proceeded, "I'm super hot and sexy," a couple of perverted whistles were audible. "Also, I'm not shallow or superficial, and I think that's an awesome quality for a leader to have."

'_In what world is Kitty McClure not superficial?'_ Raven tried to figure, _'Maybe in her world were there's something even more sketchy than superficial.'_

"…And I believe strongly that…" Kitty glanced down at her hand, and read what it was that she believed in, before faking it off and putting her hand over her heart, "No child gets left behind."

'_She is a clueless deceiver,' _Raven wanted to roll her eyes, but that would alert the crowd that she and Kitty were enemies.

* * *

"…And in closing," Kitty had been speeching for over twenty minutes, "I would like to focus on which candidate I think is better," Kitty turned and looked at Raven, but still sort of facing the crowd.

'_And here it comes,' _Raven sat up straight, and put her 'confident face' on.

"Now, I myself, truly believe that Raven Roth is not the correct choice. Her mom was a real junkie and her dad was a man who never took the responsibility of being a father."

Raven looked over at Dick and the others, who were already rewiring the system to play the videos and pictures of Kitty.

Dick felt Raven's amethyst orbs on him, and looked over at her.

"No," she mouthed, "Don't do it."

"Are you crazy? Why not?" Dick mouthed back.

"Just trust me," Raven mimed.

Dick nodded, and began unplugging the wires and explaining to the others what was going on. He knew very well that Raven knew what she was doing, he just wished he was in on the plan too. Being excluded really isn't his favorite thing.

"Now ladies and gentlemen," Kitty fully faced the crowd, her eyebrows knitted, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, and I for one, do not want a soon to be failure being my president," she gestured towards Raven.

"Think about what I've said," Kitty reattached the microphone, "Thank you."

Some 'boos' were heard, but mostly applauding and cheering.

The principal stood again, and went back to the microphone.

"Thank you Kitty for that marvelous speech," the principal smiled and applauded with the rest of the audience.

"Way to be impartial!" a voice yelled from backstage.

Raven knew the voice all to well, it was Tara. Her very good friend, and also one of her best girlfriends.

Laughter was heard, but the principal wasn't smiling. But she had no idea who said it, so she had to continue on like she didn't notice the exclamation.

"Now I'd like to introduce, Raven Roth," she applauded along with audience, and took her seat as Raven came up to the microphone.

"Well," Raven sighed, "Kind of hard to follow a speech like that, huh Kitty."

"You've got that right, Roth," Kitty replied, smirking.

Raven ignored her, "First of all, what was said about my parents is true, but I'm not anything like them. I was raised by my brother and he's one hell of man. He taught me right from wrong, and right now, I'm doing what I believe is right. And I refuse to exploit and degrade people, it's unethically and immorally wrong…"

'_That is most unquestionably factual,' _Kori agreed mentally.

"But some people have no class nor any morals, but I can't do anything about that…"

'_Ha, good one!' _Gar laughed mentally.

"But what I can do, is tell you that I'm the best choice for school president because I'm a wonderful human being…"

'_You're damn right you are,' _Tara cheered mentally.

"Who leads and doesn't follow…"

'_How exceedingly true,' _Kori agreed mentally, her hands clasped together and a 100-watt smile plastered on her face.

"Who lives inside boundaries but can't be tamed on the inside…"

'_That's definitely my girl,' _Dick thought, smiling.

"Who can't be broken.."

'_Damn straight baby girl,' _Vic cried mentally.

"Who indisputably won't be taken advantage of…"

'_Without a doubt,' _Gar agreed.

"And who refuses to give up."

"We love you Raven!" Kori and Tara shouted from backstage while Raven paused.

Raven smiled, "I love you too."

Raven held up the sign on her fingers that she'd learned in Challenge Day and the room became a loud cheer.

"I'm Raven Roth," she spoke over the cheering, "And I want to be your president. Thank you."

The cheering, yelling, clapping, and stomping continued, and Raven held the sign up until she finally sat back down in her chair next to a royally pissed Kitty.

Kitty was covering it up with a teeth showing grin and applauding with the rest of the room.

"May the best girl win," Raven offered her hand for Kitty to shake.

"I intend to," Kitty said through clenched teeth and refused Raven's hand.

Raven shrugged it off and continued smiling and waving to the still cheering audience.

* * *

One hour later

Raven sat, crossed legged like before, waiting for the students to finish voting. They were up to the second to last row of students, and the votes were being counted as they were cast. But every minute was like a year to her. Angst was her main emotion at this point, but the very well trained stoic hid it well.

Kitty, on the other hand, was annoyingly tapping her feet, cracking her knuckles, and mumbling cursing words. Raven was ignoring her, but it was still very irritating.

The superintendent, the principal, and the past student body president were all counting the votes in the foyer.

Dick, Gar, Vic, Kori, and Tara were all hanging around backstage in the lounge area. All of them were nervous and didn't know what to expect. The election could go either way at that point; but they all hoped for the best.

The principal, the superintendent, and last year's school president came moseying down the isle in between the rows of chairs, and made their way onto the stage.

'_This is it,' _Raven told her self mentally while taking a deep breath, '_It all comes down to this.'_

"Could I have you attention please?" last years school president silenced the room from the microphone.

"Thank you," she held a white envelope that contained the winner's name.

"The winner of the 2010 Jump City High student body president election," she opened the envelope, "Is…R-"

Kitty couldn't take it, "I would like to withdraw from the election!" she shouted.

"Okay," the pervious president proceeded on, "The winner is Raven Roth!"

The entire auditorium became a room of shouts and cheers, and Raven stood, flabbergasted, her hands clasped over her mouth.

Dick and the others came running from backstage.

Dick enveloped Raven in his sweet warm embrace and the others crowded around cheering, clapping, and Tara and Kori were also jumping.

"I told you I knew what I was doing," Raven kissed Dick's forehead, his cheek, and then his lips.

"I knew you did," Dick yelled back.

"That's my baby girl!" Vic shouted as Dick spun Raven around.

"I love you guys!" Raven shouted to her friends, and they engulfed each other in a massive group hug.

"Congratulations Raven," the previous president praised her when the group hugging ceased.

"Thanks," the past president placed the red, white, and blue presidential top hat on Raven's head, and she too applauded.

* * *

"We have to celebrate this fantastic memorable moment," Kori told them as she skipped down the hallway in front of the others.

The school day was over and everybody was dispersing from the halls and exiting the school.

"She's right," Dick agreed.

"Let's all meet up at the patio tables outside the 24th Street Café," Raven suggested.

"Cool with me," Vic agreed as he opened the door for them.

"We're in," Kori and Tara acceded simultaneously.

"I'm down with whatever," Gar agreed.

"You know I'm in," Dick reached for Raven's hand, "Do you need a ride cause the back of my motorcycle is always available?"

"No thanks babe," Raven said, "Nick's coming to get me."

"Alright then Raven," Dick kissed her goodbye before leaving on his motorcycle.

"See you sis," Vic hugged Raven goodbye.

"Goodbye Raven," Kori hugged her goodbye, and they made their way to Vic's Chevrolet Tahoe, because Vic repudiated to ride in Kori's soft pink PT Cruiser.

"See you later girl," Tara hugged Raven goodbye.

"Until next time Dark Vader," Gar and Raven knuckle touched, and they made their way to Tara's Altima that they always came in since Tara refused to ride in Gar's army green Charger.

Raven spotted Nick's shiny black truck in the parking lot and strolled over to him.

"I won," Raven informed him monotonously as she hopped into the truck.

"I kind of figured that when I saw your top hat," Nick drove off, "Congratulations."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. And mom would've been proud."

* * *

Nick and Raven pulled up at the 24th street café. Dick and the others were all seated at one circular table outside the café, and somebody else as well.

A dark skinned, bright blue eyed, shoulder length brown haired girl, sat next to Vic, her legs crossed and a sweet smile on her face.

"Who's that?" Nick inquired, very curious.

Raven squinted and tried to make her out, "I don't know."

Nick took the keys out of the ignition, his eyes never leaving the unidentified girl.

"What are you doing?" Raven queried, unbuckling her seatbelt.

"I'm going to introduce myself," Nick replied, unbuckling his as well.

"And why?" Raven eyed him suspiciously as she opened her door.

"It would extremely rude if I didn't," Nick responded, opening his door.

Raven and Nick made their way over to the others.

"Hey Raven," Dick immediately stood, hugged her, and kissed her cheek.

"Hey guys," Raven greeted all of them, and they all smiled and waved.

"And who's this?" Nick asked, hazel green eyes locked with bright blue ones.

"This is my older cousin Karen Beecher," Vic replied, "She just moved here from Gotham City and I've been showing her around."

"Nick Roth," Nick held out his hand for her to place hers in.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr. Roth," Karen smiled as he placed a sweet tender kiss on her hand.

"Vic," Nick never took his eyes off Karen, and she didn't take hers off him, "You mind if I take it from here?"

"Not at all man, go for it," Vic agreed.

"Later," Nick helped Karen up and lead her to his truck by the hand.

"See you guys later," Karen called over her shoulder.

The remaining teens waved, not believing what they'd just witnessed.

They all exchanged looks and Raven shrugged, "Who knows. Stranger things have happened."

* * *

End chapter

So, my fantabulous readers, how was it? I personally thought it was a pretty decent chappie. **Please review and tell me what you think.**

Well, I think this was a pretty good chappie. And don't worry, **kitty will be back and with vengeance in the future. **And a lot more humor, romance, **and heartbreak (don't worry, the birdies are meant to be…or are they?)**

To anybody who disagrees with the **Nick/Karen **flirty connection thing they have going on, please review and tell me. There probably won't be a major relationship thing going on with them, just like cutesy little moments that just make you want to say awww how sweet. **And I respect the fact that some people disagree with dating outside your race, but I don't have anything against it, and I didn't want Nick being with Blackfire or Kori, so I automatically thought, Karen.** I won't make her cocky or sassy like she is on the show. She'll just be a sweetheart who doesn't take crap from anybody, and that's why I want to put her with Nick. So he'll say something rude to her just to make her get feisty and say something back.

**Sorry if I'm not updating fast enough.** I have five AP classes, loads of extracurricular activities and work to worry about. I've only been in school for like three weeks and I've already been up to my neck in homework plenty of times, but I guess that's what I get for being an overachiever (not bragging…okay, I am :). But I will try hard to have this story done before Thanksgiving, but I doubt if I will. And on top of all that, **I've got a plot bunny hopping around in my head for a special Halloween story**, but who knows, it might just be a piece of crap _before _the making. Anyways, **I'm sorry **to anyone and everyone that feels like kicking my ass right now. Please try to control yourself and try to have some sympathy for me.

Until next time, Cya

-GothicPrincess


	8. Time For A Change

Hey guys, thanks for the reviews. Enjoy!

**Time For A Change**

Raven's POV

I saunter out of bed at same time the sun rises, even though it's Saturday and I tossed and turned all night. Today is the day that I don't ever look forward to. But it's never mentioned in our household, just looked over and forgotten. But, in a way, it still lurks in the shadows of the back of my mind, inaudibly screaming to be released.

I shake the thoughts out of my head and get dressed before sauntering downstairs.

When I make it downstairs, my brother is leaned over on the island, his elbow propped up on it and his head resting in his hand, staring into space with that trademark blank look of his on his face. But, with being his very close sister, I notice there is something a little different about that look. He actually had a tinge of...happiness, I think, on his porcelain face.

So, a little concerned and baffled, I go over to him.

"Nick," I say, "Are you alright?"

He didn't answer me, instead, he continued to stare into space.

I snap my slender pale fingers in front of his hazel eyes, "Nick, did you hear me?"

No answer again, I began to think he's ignoring me, so I do something that not even Satan himself would do.

"Nicholas Roth," I use his real name, "Don't you pretend not to hear me."

He immediately came to, with a momentary glare directed at me, "_Don't...ever...call...me...that...again._" he drawled. But then, to my surprise, that look crept its way back onto his face.

"Are you okay, Nick," I ask, inwardly praying for a reply, "You're starting to worry me."

"I'm absolutely and most definitely fine, just fine," he answered, dreamily leaving the spot he was previously in.

"Okay," I eye him suspiciously, lean against the island with my arms folded across my chest, and my eyebrow queried (a typical pose to expect from me), "What happened last night." I began to figure it out. I remember him creeping in at two in the morning last night, after being out with Karen since they'd first left.

"I hung out with an amazing girl," he answered.

"Please tell me you were being safe?" I say, massaging my temples.

He looked back at me, completely out of his daze, "It wasn't like that, Raven, _she_ wasn't like that."

"Oh," I sigh, relieved, "So what did happen?" I know he's not a virgin, but it would have been a mistake to have sex with Karen after only knowing her for a few hours.

"I talked, she listened, she talked, I listened," he replied, still in his normal state, thank God, "We drove around, we took a walk in the park. We had dinner at the Paper Dragon. It was everything I could have every imagined, and more."

"Well," I say, "How is she?"

"Extraordinary," he answered, "And exceedingly pulchritudinous. Man, her eyes, they're incredible. In all my years, I've never seen brilliant blue eyes that are so spectacular, they're nearly grey. And her hair. A waterfall of silky, shiny, dark brown cascading down her back. She's so beautiful..."

"Yeah, Nick, when I said, how is she, I meant her personality," I point out.

"Wasn't I telling you about her personality?" he asked, bewildered.

"No...you were going on about how beautiful she was," I reply.

"Dammit," he ran his fingers through a forest of black, "What's happening to me? I was thinking one thing and saying another."

"Nick," I walk over to him and put a hand on his shoulder, "You're falling in love."

"No," he brushed my hand away, "Nick Roth doesn't do 'love'."

"Deny it all you want," I say, "But there's no denying how you really feel. Or did you not hear how 'exceedingly pulchritudinous' you think she is. And her hair is a waterfall of dark brown..."

"I get it," he stopped me.

"Sorry," I apologize, "So, what's going on with you two?"

"I dunno," he answers, "But I'm hoping I'll see her again soon."

"Well, you do that," I walk over and grab my jacket, "I'm taking the truck."

"Whatever," he tells me, "Wreck it, and you die."

I roll my eyes, "See you," I say.

"Later," I close the door behind me.

* * *

I walked through the doors of the only tea house in Jump City, simply named, The Tearoom.

I saunter over to a table, and sit down.

I didn't really feel like getting anything, so instead, I run my finger over the flame of the candle sitting in front of me. I rested my head on my forearm, which was lying on the table, and stare at the open flame, thoughts soaring through my mind.

_Just let it fade away with time, Raven, with everything else that hurts..._

My thoughts were interrupted, when a very familiar face came in the door.

Dick comes over to me, smiling, with a skip in his step.

"I knew you'd be here," he sat down next to me and kissed my forehead.

"What are you going here?" I inquire, not sitting up, and continuing what I was doing before he arrived.

"Because I knew you needed me," he put his arm around me, "No tell me what is is."

"What what is?" I return his question.

"The matter," he replied.

"Nothing, it's the past," I sat up and looked him in the eyes.

"Don't lie to me Raven," he says, "Firstly because I know you too well to believe you, and secondly because I sense something is wrong, and a man never questions his senses."

I hate how forward he is. But I love it too, it means he will always be real with me, and never hold back.

"It's the anniversary," I finally give in.

"You're mother's death," he embraced me, and I'm confused.

"How did you know?" I asked, my head in the crook of his neck.

"Because I know you," he replied, kissing the top of my head again.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I realize he's right. He does know me, to the extent that it's actually unbelievable. I've found myself, numerous times, about to tell him something, and he already knew. It's amazing how we click. It's amazing how we found each other. And it's amazing how much we care for each other. But what makes me upset is that I have an idea of what God is doing. He's filling the void in my life from the loss of my mother with Richard.

"Don't hold back Raven," he encourages me, "Let it out."

I unwillingly let my tears fall. They were gentle, but my thoughts were piercing screams.

_I miss you, mom, more than words could ever say! _my thoughts are uncontrollable as they recite the peom I wrote, the day before I attempted suicide.

_The pain in my heart, is from one unimaginable day!  
__After I cried all that I could; my eyes still shed countless more tears!  
__And when I try to sleep, I have nightmares of ten-thousand fears!_  
_I walk in footsteps on an unsure path!_  
_My load feels so heavy I am not sure I will last!_

I grimaced in pain as the words echo in my head, and sob the pain away in Richard's arms.

* * *

Normal POV

"Where's your mom's grave?" Dick asked as they rode. He was driving Nick's truck and Raven was in the passenger's seat, staring out the window, her eyes puffy from her crying.

"In the cemetery about a block from your house," Raven replied and laid eyes on him, "Why?"

"Because you're going to talk to her," he answered, "And clear your mind so there won't be any more tears."

"If I do this, then you have to talk to your dad," Raven offered.

"I've already tried, there's no point," Dick refused.

"Dick Grayson is giving up?"

"No."

"Then try again."

"Fine, one more time, then after that, I didn't give up, it's just the way it's meant to be."

"Deal," they pulled into the driveway of Dick's mansion.

"I'll walk to the cemetery from here," Raven opened her door, "Good luck."

They kissed each other good luck before exiting the truck and going their separate ways.

* * *

Raven's POV

I make my way down the street and around the corner, feeling Dick's intense gaze on me the entire time.

I walk up the dirt path to my mother's grave, row 8 section A plot number 7, those things you can never forget.

I carefully walk over to her headstone. I haven't been here since the funeral, and her headstone still looks the same as in my memory. A black marble square with the deepest red roses, that seemed to have never withered over the years, surround the base, and her name engraved in cursive, "a daughter, a loving mother, and a wonderful friend" engraved underneath that, with Nick's real name and my name underneath that, and lastly, her birth date and death date.

I smile, not feeling the urge to cry at all. I stood there, surrounded by frosty air, with my hands shoved in my hoodie pockets.

"Hey mom," I simply say, "You really know how to take care of your roses. They haven't withered a bit."

I mentally kick myself for saying that; it's been three years since I've been here and that's the best thing I can say.

"I love you mom," I came up with something a little better, "And I really wish this hadn't happened to you. But, I guess God has his reasons."

I really wish I hadn't said that, because that's when something came over me, and I dropped to my knees, clasping onto my mother's headstone.

"I'm sorry mom," I sobbed, and the memories of that dreadful day flooded back.

_-FLASHBACK-_

_The day of my mother's death_

_My mother and I had been arguing constantly all day long. It started with the dishes needing to be done, and escalated to Nick having to stop mom from wringing my neck. I don't know what happened, but I woke up that morning with a malicious smile on my face and evil thoughts running through my head._

_I sat on my bed, tears streaming down my face, with Nick dabbing a warm towel on my stinging red neck. But, something just came over me and I stormed into my mother's room, pushing Nick off of me as he tried to stop me from leaving the room._

_"I hate you!" I cried to her as she sat on her bed, a cigarette in her hand, "You are a satanist junkie that doesn't care about anybody but themselves! I fucking hate you!"_

_"Raven," she says back to me, taking a hit off the cigarette, "Just please leave my room before you say something you'll regret."_

_"I won't regret it if I mean it!" I shout, "I fucking hate you! Do you hear me? I wish you'd leave! But it wouldn't make a difference seeing as you're hardly here in the first place. I mean, be realistic, you don't do a damned thing for me! Nick takes care of me, not you mom!"_

_"You don't mean that," my words didn't seem to vex her, "Nick! Please come get your sister before I hurt her!"_

_Nick appeared in the doorway, and carried me over his shoulder back to my room._

_"I hate you!"_

_-END FLASHBACK-_

Tears cascade down my cheeks as I regret every word from that night, "I don't hate you mom," I cried, "You aren't evil. And the last thing I wanted is to have you out of my life. And now I see that. You may have done things to me that a person can't forget, but I forgive you mom. I can't tell you how much I miss you. How much remorse I have. How many nightmares I have of that day and I just want to undo it. I just want to undo it. I just want to undo it..."

And as those words escaped my mouth, it was like a gentle hand placed itself on my shoulder and took my pain away.

"I love you mom," I sniffed, "I love you, and Nick does too, even though he doesn't say it, he does. He does. I do. And I nobody can change that."

* * *

Dick's POV

I saunter up to my door, waiting until my girlfriend was out of sight to go inside.

I hear my father's voice coming from somewhere in the house.

"Alfred," I say to the butler, "Where's dad?"

"He is in the main dining room to the left, Master Dick," Alfred answered my question with his deep British accent.

"Thanks Alfred," I sprint to the main dinning room to find my father sitting at the head of the table, talking away on his bluetooth.

"Uh...Dad," I say, approaching him, "Can we talk for a sec?"

"We need at least enough orderves for five hundred people for the gala," he told whomever was on the other line, not even noticing that I entered the room.

"Dad," I say, "I need to talk to you."

Still no answer.

"It's important," I add, getting annoyed with being ignored.

_I should have jut told Raven no._

"Do you not hear me?" I shout this time, really wanting to gain his attention.

He slammed his forearm down on the table and glared at me, "Not now, boy, can't you see I'm on the goddamn phone," he hissed in a whisper, before going back to his conversation, "I don't care if the place burnt down, get me the orderves or you and everybody else is fired."

My anger festered inside of me. And scenes of dad belittling mom flashed through my head. Dad telling me to go away. Dad ignoring me. Dad kissing a woman who wasn't my mom. Dad walking out of Chole's funeral to go to work. And dad telling the doctors to pull the plugs.

My anger became torment, my torment became fury, my fury became rage, and my rage became hate. Boiling, vexing, infuriating hate. And my hate became uncontrollable.

I jerk the bluetooth out of his ear and through it against the wall, hard. It shattered into pieces, and my dad slammed his fist down on the table.

"What the hell is wrong with you, boy?" my dad shouted at me, still seated.

"Dammit it dad!" I shout back, my face becoming red.

"Damnit boy!" he yells back, "What the hell is your damn problem! Are you out of your goddamn mind?"

"I'm not the one with the problem, it's you! You're the one who causes all the problems in this damn house! YOU YOU YOU!"

"Boy! I'm going to stick my foot up your ass!" he threatened.

"I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired about the same crap!" I ignore his usual unfulfilled threats, "And I'm done! I'm fucking done! You and your shit don't matter to me anymore! So go ahead and live your life dad, without me, and I'll live mine without you in it! And I've tried to fix this, but you, you're so damn evil! Everything you've ever done to me dad, will come back on you! You had your chance, and there are no more! So have a nice damn life dad!"

I storm out of the room, leaving a very infuriated and baffled father sitting at the table.

I slam the front door shut behind me, and climbed into truck, gripping the steering wheel, my emotions going wild.

* * *

Raven's POV

I approach the Wayne mansion, after letting out all my emotions, and a load lifted off my back. I see Dick sitting in the driver's seat of Nick's truck, his hands clasped onto the steering wheel. My instincts tell me something is wrong, so I hurriedly walk over to him.

I come up to the open window, and hold onto the door frame, while Dick stares straight ahead.

"Hey," I say, "Do you want to talk?"

He looks at me, and that's when I see the tear rolling off his face, "No."

"Babe," I place a gentle hand on his, and he loosened his grip a little. I was a little concerned that his hands were nearly as pale as mine, and the fact that he was upset after he should feel better.

"What happened in there?" I inquire, having an idea of what did go on.

"I hate him," he replied through clenched teeth, "I fucking hate him."

"You don't mean that," I cup his cheek in my hand and wipe away his tear with my thumb before I began to gently caressed it.

"Yes I do," Dick tried to convince me but it didn't work.

The last thing I want is for Dick to end up having remorse for the words that escape from his mouth because he was being immature. So, I have to convince him to go back in there.

"Take it from someone who's been there," another tear escaped and I caressed it away, "You don't. And you don't want to realize that after it's too late. Just trust me Richard. Go back in there and try again. If he doesn't cooperate, let him know that you still forgive him. Let him know that there is still hope."

I know him well enough to know that when his intense stormy blue gaze is on me, means that he's sorting out his emotions and collecting his thoughts.

I cup both his cheeks in either of my hands, stand on my tiptoes, and plant a kiss on his forehead, not pulling back for a few seconds.

"Good luck, babe," I smile, and so did Dick. He pecked me on the upper lip and I stepped back to allow him to open the door.

He walked over to his front door, taking a deep breath and looking back at me, before going inside. I smiled, and got inside the truck on the passenger's side and turned on the heat.

* * *

Dick's POV

I went inside my house, once more, and went back into the dinning room, where my father sat. He actually looked...troubled...about me...I hope. Now that's most definitely an accomplishment.

As I approach him, I realize that he has an old photo album sitting in his lap. And for the first time in my life, the first time, I see my dad has tears escaping from his eyes. My dad is crying.

"Dad," I sit next to him at the large table, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what I said."

He looked over at me, tears in his eyes and rolling down his cheeks. And he actually realized that I was there, and I was jumping for joy on the inside.

"No son," he says, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything that I have ever done to you. Everything. Chloe, your mother, everything. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," he embraces me in a "firm manly" hug, and the photo album, that I think he was trying to hide, fell onto the floor.

I pick it up, eyeing the pictures as I sat it on the table, "What are you doing with this dad?"

He pointed to a picture on the page, right next to a picture of me and Chloe as kids. It was sort of faded and dingy, but I could make out a man, who wasn't my father but very similar, standing in what is now my dad's office.

"That's grandpa," I say, and my father nods.

"Yep," dad says, "Now look closer."

I squint my eyes, and move my head closer to the picture and saw a child, a boy, about ten or eleven, in the background, playing with a stapler, with a very sorrowful look on his face.

"That's me," Dad explains and I look up at him, "I promised myself I'd be different. That I wouldn't treat my children that way. That I would be in my children's lives, never miss anything that happened at school, and be there with them in the big events of their lives. But, I turned out to be worse," and for the first time ever, my dad broke into sobs.

"I love you dad, and I forgive you," I pat his shoulder.

"I love you too son," he says, and he wiped his tears away.

Right after my dad collected himself, as if on cue, a very familiar face came into the room.

"Raven," I say, and hop up to acknowledge her.

She smiles as I embrace her, and vacillate her in my arms, "Thanks for the tip babe," I whisper my gratitude.

We pull apart, with my arm still around her waist.

"Dad," I say, "This is my girlfriend Raven Roth. We go to the same school."

"Nice to meet you Raven," he said, shaking her hand, "I'm Dick's dad, Bruce Wayne."

"Nice to meet you too Mr. Wayne," she says, her cute smile on her face.

"It's Bruce, Raven," my dad says, "And you're welcome here anytime."

"Thanks, Bruce, and you've really done a great job with Dick, he's wonderful," Raven complimented me.

"You're welcome, and you're a very beautiful girl," he complimented Raven.

"Thank you," Raven turned to me, "I have to go Dick, before Nick has a panic attack about his truck."

"Alright then," I kissed her goodbye.

"Later," she exited the room completely.

"She's a nice girl Dick," my dad says to me, "I'm proud of you."

* * *

Monday morning

Raven's POV

I didn't really see Dick that much over the weekend after I left his house, he and his father were "bonding", so when I saw him that morning at school, I was very excited.

"Dick," I exclaim happily, jumping into his arms, "I missed you. How did everything go."

He kissed my lips before answering, "Well, we went up to New York, he bought me a few things. We took pictures in time square, we took a walk in central park. You know, just bonded. Which reminds me, I have surprise for you."

"What is it?" I ask excitedly.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a black velvet jewelry box.

He handed it to me, and I opened it excitedly to reveal a pair of diamond studs.

"They're real," he says, "Two carots."

"Thank you Dick," I kiss him on the lips, with my tongue, showing extra gratitude.

"Oh what do we have going on here?" Vic asked as he and the rest of our friends approached a kissing couple.

I showed them what Dick gave me and he smiled smugly.

"Oh Dick!" Kori shouted, "They are magnificent!"

"Thanks Kori," Dick says.

Our conversation was interrupted by the principal coming onto the intercom system.

"Would the school president and all members of the student council please report to the meeting room," she announced and my friends and I make our way to the meeting room. Seeing as we're all apart of the group.

* * *

I sat at the head of the table, Dick to my left, Kori next to him, Tara next to her, Vic next to her, and Gar to my right.

"So," the principal entered the room, "I bet you're all wondering why you're here."

She leaned against the wall, an obvious look on her face that said she didn't want to be there.

"Prom is coming up, and the president is responsible for organizing it. And with being the student council, you all have to assist her in doing it. And only one person is actually required to go to the prom."

"Which one?" I ask, hoping and praying that it wasn't me.

"Why the president of course," she smiled smugly before leaving the meeting room completely.

I glared at the teenage boy to my left, "Dick," I hissed, "You knew didn't you."

"Well..." he gulped.

"That's why you bought me the earrings," I figured it out as I glared at him, "You thought I'd go easy on you."

"I can't say all of that isn't correct," he cowered in fear.

"You do realize that if we weren't together, I'd kill you," I glared at him, and a weakish smile crept onto his lips.

"Well before you continue with threathening Dick, we should think of the theme," Kori suggested.

"Oh I know," Tara exclaimed, "A night in the stars!"

"A night of your dreams," Kori clasped her hands together and batted her eyes.

"A night of treasure," Gar copied Kori's motions, being sarcastic.

"No," I deny them, "If I have to go to this stupid prom, then I'm giving it a theme that I like."

"Well, what theme do you like?" Gar inquired, "And nothing about slaughtering or killing anything."

I ignore him, "(1) A night in Vegas."

"Huh?" everybody cocked their heads to the side.

"What? No! I don't want to remember my first prom with a horrible theme!" Kori folded her arms across her chest and knitted her eyebrows.

"Ditto," Tara copied Kori's motions.

"You'll get to wear pretty showgirl costumes," I coaxed them.

They exchanged a look, "Deal," they agreed simultaneously.

"Well, what exactly are we going to do at a prom with a theme as a night in Vegas?" Vic inquired.

"We'll play blackjack, roulette, Texas Hold 'Em, and have slot machines and the whole shebang," I explained, "Like we're really in Las Vegas, Nevada."

"Well, none of us are old enough to gamble," Dick pointed out.

"I know," I say, already having an answer, "Whoever has the most chips at the end of the night, will win the grand prize."

"What's the prize?" Tara inquired.

"Whatever Dick Grayson donates," I gave him a look that said "do it, or your backup payback will be painful".

"Deal," he agreed, glad that I tossed him a shovel to dig his way out of that mess.

"Deal," the rest of my friends agree and I smugly smile.

* * *

End Chapter

Well I think that was a pretty good chappie. What about you? Please please review and tell me what you think.

Seriously, reviews are accepted and appreciated, so feel free to leave one.

(1) A night in Vegas- some of you might have noticed, some might not have. But this is totally taken from Degrassi. I don't own that show or the idea, so don't go assuming things because it says right here in print, I don't own the theme.

Okay, so if I offended anybody with having the characters as christans, I'm sorry. I'm a christan so I think they should be too. So sorry if I did offend anyone.

And just for a heads up, I probably won't be updating this for a while. But I have good news for that. I'm going to be rewriting the previous chapters. I won't change any characters or events, I'm just going to like, have the different point of views, more detail, just improve them. So look out for that. And don't kill me for taking a long time to update, K?

And another thing, about that Halloween fic I mentioned. I'm planning to have a Rob/Rae story with one chapter being about Halloween and the rest being a normal Rob/Rae fic, so just for the heads up, the halloween chapter might not be out until like new years, so be prepared to laugh at my late timing.

Until next time, Cya!

-GothicPrincess


	9. The Nightmare Before The Ball

Okay, so before you kill me, let me explain. I've been way busy, and I've had like a tremendous writers' block with this. I haven't rewritten any of the chapters. But, hey, at least I updated. So, enjoy!

**The Nightmare Before the Ball**

* * *

She stirred in her sleep at the distant, annoying ringing.

RING

She snored, "No sir," she smacked her lips, "We don't sell car motors here, at Fat Ass Burger," she yawned and flipped over onto her stomach, "Just over priced food poisoning."

RING RING

"I've seen people like you before, Gar," she let out a long, lengthy, exaggerated yawn, "But I had to pay an admission fee, sucker," she smirked and snickered in her sleep.

RING RING

"One skinny water and a side of fat ass fries, will that be all?"

RING RING RING

Startled at the increasing noise, the sleeping beauty jerked her body over and fell onto the floor, where she scrambled up onto her knees.

RING

"I'm up," she immediately said, her eyes still closed, "Shut up, dammit."

RING RING RING RING!

Her eyes shot open and she snatched her cell phone from her night stand, "Raven Roth, how can I help you at three am on a school night?" she asked sarcastically.

"It's me," an all too familiar voice replied, "Dick."

"Hey, honey," Raven greeted him, climbing into her bed, "Is everything alright?"

"Uh...Yeah everything's fine, I just needed to talk to you," Dick told her, "I realized something."

"About what?" Raven inquired.

"I woke up, a few minutes ago, in cold sweat, and I realized something. Well, I just realized that I already knew..." he trailed off.

"Realized that you already knew what?" Raven queried, concerned.

"I'm madly in love with you, Raven Roth." Dick replied without hesitation.

A silence commenced, but Raven had a million thoughts running through her head. What should she do? What should she say? Did she feel the same way too? AH!

So many things, so many things she could have said, but instead, she croaked, "What?"

"I love you. I love everything about you. Your personality, your spark, your style, your edge, you. The way you say quit it, but I know you don't mean it. The way you cringe your nose when you're annoyed. The way you giggle when I say something dirty. They way you don't give a rat's ass what anybody thinks. Everything. The way you walk, talk, act, everything. I love it. And I love you no matter what, even if you don't love me back, I will still love you."

Raven sat in her bed, covering up the bottom of the phone so that Dick couldn't hear her panting. Flabbergasted was the one word to describe her current state. She was flabbergasted. All of a sudden, her boyfriend calls her up out of no where and says he loves her. What was she supposed to feel like? What was she going to say? She didn't know how she felt! She just didn't know!

"Raven," Rich called out to her, "What do you say?"

She moved her hand from the speaker and took a deep breath, "I..Honestly, I don't know what to say, Richard," Raven admitted, "This is so sudden."

"I'm perfectly fine with that, but you can sleep tonight, knowing that I love you, that you are loved," Dick informed her. By the sound of his voice, Raven knew he was smiling.

"I just need time, okay? Time, just give it time," Raven said, calming her nerves.

"I understand, Raven," Dick replied, "Goodnight, Raven."

"Goodnight, Dick," Raven hung up the phone and tossed it on the floor.

She sighed and fell back on her bed with a loud huff.

"Like I don't already have enough to deal with," she brought a hand up to her head and removed the stray hairs from her face.

Maybe not even time could answer the question, did she really love Dick?

She waited for a light bulb twinkle on or a thought bubble to pop up.

Seconds became minutes and minutes became an hour, and no sort of answer or hint came to her. The only thing that came was the overpowering urge of sleep which enveloped her, and she fell into a deep slumber.

* * *

Raven, Tara, and Kori sauntered into the library for study hall and sat at their usual table, and waited for the guys to arrive.

Raven had been avoiding talking about the incident from the night before with Dick because she still didn't have an answer for him. No bell had rung and no answers came, she was lost and confused. Everything had been going great. She had the perfect friends, and a drop dead gorgeous boyfriend, but then he had to open his mouth and leave her dumbfounded with the way he felt.

"That's hilarious, Kori!" Tara and Kori fell into fits of laughter.

Raven jumped at the sound of Tara's voice bringing her from her thoughts.

"Why are you so jumpy Raven?" Tara asked suspiciously.

"What?" Raven said, "Oh...uh...I was just up last night, thinking about something."

"About what?" Kori asked.

"Well-" Raven was interrupted by someone wrapping their arms around her waist from behind and placing their head in the crook of her neck.

She turned and saw who was evading her personal space, "Hey, Dick."

"Hey, Raven," he released her and sat in the chair beside her, his arm still around her waist, and she planted a kiss on his lips.

"How's the prom coming, Raven?" Vic inquired.

"Slowly, endlessly, and bountifully," Raven answered, unenthusiastically.

"Wow, whoever told you to be yourself, Raven, couldn't have given you worse advice," Gar insulted her, and fell into fits of laughter.

Raven allowed her forearm to fall forcefully onto the table, "Gar, did you hear? They moved you _up_ to a remedial math class!"

Gar's laughter end, and his smile faded away, "Don't even get my hopes up like that, Raven."

Tara sighed obnoxiously, "Just another boring day in study hall," she complained.

"Well, we could ditch," Raven pitched the idea. Ditching was nothing to her, but it may be a little difficult for her friends.

"Please, is "ditch" not the term for a long narrow excavation in the earth?" Kori questioned.

"Yes it is Kori, but Raven's talking about a different meaning, to skip class," Dick explained.

"That sounds like a thing of great rebellion," Kori said, dispiritedly, but immediately perked up, "Count me on the inside!"

"If my girl's in, I'm in," Vic agreed, placing his arm around Kori.

"I like that answer Vic," Dick concorded, "I'd like to see the day I wimp out when my girl doesn't."

"I'm in, I don't know about my shrimp here," Tara giggled.

"I was in before the plan was thought of," Gar said sarcastically.

"Well, what are we going to do?" Raven asked.

The boys exchanged glances and shouted together, "Burgers! Laser tag! And Ski ball!"

"You three, are officially insane," Raven rolled her eyes, but before she could say anything else, she was being pulled by Dick around her waist and out of the door.

Gar led the way, taking silent steps sideways against the wall, being very dramatic. He peeked his head around the corner of the hall, and signaled for the others to follow. He then turned a somersault to the other side of the hallway, and leaned against it. He then turned cartwheels the rest of the way to the end of the hall and out of the school doors.

He silently exhaled and wiped sweat from his brow.

"Ahem," Raven cleared her throat, "Are you done, Agent Ass Wipe?"

She and the others had walked like normal people out the door, while ignoring Gar's foolish antics.

"Yes, Agent Bitter, I am," Gar strode with his head held high all the way over to Vic's Tahoe.

* * *

Raven peeked around the synthetic rock, and, at the last moment, she dodge a fire from Dick. She breathed heavily and sweat rolled off her brow. She held her firearm over her chest, and prepared for the final battle between her, and Dick. The others had run off elsewhere in the course, while she and Dick went their own way together, each of them really into the game and battling for the finish.

"I see you, Raven," Dick's taunting voice came from somewhere.

Raven swallowed the fear, and she stepped out to see Dick there, completely exposed with his weapon pointing straight at her.

She was quick to fire, but Dick got to her first, and after the long suspenseful battle, just like that, she was defeated.

"I win," Dick boasted, helping Raven out of her gear.

"I let you win," Raven rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, right," Dick took her by the hand and pulled her into his embrace, "You're so cute when you pout."

"Shut up," Raven pulled back, and placed a sweet, gently kiss on his lips.

"Do you have a reply to me, Raven?" Dick asked.

"Well-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Gar shouted, "Please, for the sake of America, get a room," Gar demanded and everyone laughed, excluding Dick and Raven.

"We'll talk later," Raven whispered, "My place."

"Agreed," Dick whispered back.

"Come on guys," Vic instructed, "Let's get some grub."

* * *

Raven and Dick sat on the couch in Raven's apartment. Dick was lounging in the corner of the couch, and Raven was warmly snuggled against his chest, them talking quietly as they listened to the soothing sound of Nick's gentle singing voice over his pure piano playing.

"How come we're not allowed to talk about prom like any normal couple?" Dick inquired, his voice a whisper. Upsetting Raven's beastly older brother was the absolute last thing he ever wanted to do.

"Because," Raven replied, her voice audible enough so only he could hear, "I've been working nonstop on that stupid prom for the past three weeks, and the last thing I want to do is talk about it in my spare time."

"Prom is not stupid," Dick disagreed, "And I would love it if my date would stop being pessimistic about the night that I will remember for the rest of my life." Raven had been complaining about the "stupid prom" ever since she was assigned the task of planning it and also been required to attend it. But her attending prom would have happened if she was obligated to go or not because Dick would have found someway to convince her to go with him -even if it meant him pitching the idea of going with another girl.

"No," Raven refused, "It's not fair for the president to have to plan the damn thing. I mean, what the hell does the _prom _committee even do?" Raven had been noting that her appointed helpers were actually no help at all, just a hindrance.

"They ignore your horrible attitude about everything," Dick teased her, his signature smile on.

Raven glowered at him, but there was more sarcasm present in her glare than intimidation. But she couldn't keep it up for long; Dick's enchanted blue eyes danced, and his smile awakened the butterflies on the inside of her stomach, and they fluttered around joyously. Her glare faded away and Dick took in all the wonder that her eyes held within the mystifying amethyst color. When she gave him that look. That very look. It made a feeling pass over him. A feeling mixed with desire, affection, trust, but also with surprise and nervousness. That was a feeling that no one -no one- could ever make him feel, other than Raven. She is, and will always be, his everything.

Dick brought his hand up into Raven's waterfall of silky jet black hair. He took notice in how she'd let it grow out to the length of her shoulders, and he liked it. He loved the feeling of running his hands through her silky hair, almost as much as he loved the feeling of her creamy, smooth, porcelain, pale skin. He caressed her cheek with his thumb, not moving his hand from her hair or his other arm from around her waist. Her hair was like an exotic black cloud that should never be spoiled by human hands. But he couldn't resist. Her eyes, her hair, her sweet embrace...it all lured him in.

"I think I..." Raven began, but trailed off when Dick leaned in closer, and he captured her lips with his. Even the very taste of Raven's lips was more than enough to awaken the desire for her inside Dick. He felt as if Raven was _made for him._ She was exactly what he always wanted...needed in his life; she completed him, they were one.

Raven lost herself in Dick's fiery embrace, and time seemed to stop.

Raven couldn't help but feel like the luckiest girl in the world. She had a guy that made her stomach jump when she saw him, that kept her guessing, and made her feel safe. She would give anything to stay wrapped in his protective arms forever. She'd rather spend one lifetime with Dick, than ten thousand with another.

Raven and Dick's moment was interrupted when their friends -Kori, Vic, Tara, and Gar- entered Raven's apartment, uninvited.

"There's a thing called knocking," Nick pointed out, pulling down the piano fallboard, and turning around on his piano bench, facing his sister's friends. He knew that Raven's friends felt very welcome in his apartment, and were sort of like family. Which he thought was a good thing -no matter how much he denied it- and he was happy that Raven was making friends and opening up.

Raven and Dick pulled apart, and faced their friends. Hiding their blushes.

"Raven," Kori explained, she, Tara, and Vic taking a seat on the couch across from them, "Prom is this weekend, and I believe it is time for us to begin shopping for our girl of the show dresses."

Dick let up off of Raven so that she could get onto her feet, "I need something to drink."

"Do you want me to leave the seat up on the toilet for you?" Gar insulted her.

Raven turned sharply on her heels, and glared at him. "Look," she grimaced through clenched teeth, "I have been working nonstop on a prom that I didn't even want to have in the first place for weeks, I barely get any sleep, and on top of all that, I've got to take orders from a woman who can't tie her own shoes," Raven put her mouth right next to Gar's ear, "_The ice is thin_," she hissed.

Gar gulped nervously, and Raven proceeded with what she was doing, smirking smugly.

"Raven," Tara reminded her, "Prom is Saturday, we need to get our dresses."

"Where are we going to get showgirl costumes from?" Raven inquired, pouring herself a glass of water.

"I am aware of this cute boutique in city of Gotham," Kori told her, "They have all sorts of things, I'm pretty sure they will even have something to your liking. And I can even drive us there."

"No way," Raven protested, "I am not driving all the way to Gotham City in a bright pink PT Cruiser, Kori. And I'm not so sure you will be able to focus on driving the entire way there."

"You have the attention span of a walnut," Gar chimed in, receiving glares from Vic and Raven. Gar knew that none of the people in that room actually took his jokes seriously. And he also knew that Raven and/or Nick would kick his but if they were offended by anything he said.

"How's about I drive us there then?" Tara offered, "I know my way around up there, I'm a pretty good driver, and my car isn't "out there"." Tara knew exactly what Raven was talking about, because she knew Raven. She knew what Raven liked and didn't like, how much she could take, and what her looks meant. And they were the most alike out of the girls. Which is why Raven grew close to Tara, and Tara to her. And they considered each other to be best friends.

"Sounds like a plan," Raven agreed. She found a way to dig herself out of that hole.

"I am agreeing on the sound of the plan," Kori agreed. Kori was open to anything that would please her friends. It was just apart of her obliging nature.

"Let me get dressed," Raven told them, monotonously, as she made her way up the stairs. When Raven returned, she was dressed in black sweats.

Everyone stood up -minus Nick-, and Raven walked over to her brother, who was casually leaning against his piano.

"Stay safe, sis," Nick stood up and kissed the top of her head before jogging upstairs.

"Pick out something nice," Rich slipped his credit card into her pocket, "But not too skimpy, I don't want anybody looking at my girl."

Raven smiled at him and he wrapped his arms around her and planted a sweet goodbye kiss on her lips.

"I'll be back soon, Dick," Raven kissed his lips again, "And thanks."

"You're welcome, babe," Dick moved a couple of strands of hair from in front of her face, and kissed the tip of her nose, leaving a smile on her face.

"Uh...Raven, before prom is over please," Gar teased her, and she and the other girls made their way out the door, after saying goodbye to their boyfriends and headed to Gotham to get their prom dresses.

* * *

Saturday evening

Okay, so the night is finally here. Prom night. Dreaded or anticipated, it was here, and our favorite lads where preparing themselves for a memorable night. But as of now, they were all dillydallying around in Dick's den in tanks and boxers.

"Yo guys!" Gar shouted from inside the bathroom, "Check this out!"

He sprang out the bathroom with his face covered in the classic Gene Simmons face-paint.

Vic looked up from rummaging through the dresser drawers, he sighed, "For the millionth billionth trillionth time, HELL NO!"

Dick glanced over at the boys and chuckled.

"What are you laughing at, Dickie boy?" Vic inquired, pushing Gar back into the bathroom and shutting the door.

"It's prom night," Dick simply stated, pulling on his black slacks.

"Yeah, so," Vic replied, putting on his own slacks.

"And me and my two best friends, the class clown and the football star, are going with the Goth, the Homecoming Queen, and the outcast," Dick clarified, pulling off his tank, and putting on his collared undershirt.

"I thought we were over the stereotypes, Dick, and you know those labels are lies," Vic countered, buttoning up his undershirt.

"But it's crazy, man. At the beginning of this year, that's how we all saw each other, and now, it's completely different," Dick explained, putting on his shoes.

"Yeah, and to think it all happened because of one simple day," Vic agreed, weaving his arms through the sleeves of his jackets.

"Well, I don't know about you, but Challenge Day is the best thing that ever happened to me," Dick stated, "I mean, can you imagine what we be doing if it hadn't happened."

"Now that I think about it, I was never really happy until I was friends with you guys and the girls."

"Same here," Dick agreed, "And life was so boring before. It was the same thing over, and over, and over, and over again."

Before Vic could agree, Gar popped out of the bathroom, this time, dressed like a normal nicely dressed teen about to attend his prom.

"Okay, Tara is going to freak when she sees me," Gar spun around, popping the collar on his tux, "I am the most attractive guy in the room right now."

"Yeah, you keep believing that," Vic rolled his eyes, tying his tie.

"Dude! What's with the cheetah print tie?" Gar asked, falling into fits of laughter.

"Kori bought it for me, it's way cooler than your bright pink tie with a matching snot rag," Vic pointed out.

"Hey! It's called a pocket hanky and it's very stylish," Gar defended himself.

"Is that what Tara told you?" Dick asked, "Well let me tell you, she lied." He and Vic fell into fits of laughter.

"What are you laughing at Dick? You're the one with that depressing purple tie. You remind of the whipped little water boy who's girl has his balls in a to-go bag," Gar and Vic then fell into fits of laughter.

"Whatever guys," Dick pushed his sleeve back and looked at the time on his wrist watch, "We've got about an hour before time to pick up the girls."

"Well, what do you guys what to do?" Vic asked, and the three exchanged glances and all shared a smirk.

"PIZZA AND X-BOX!" they all shouted together.

"I'll order," Dick said, grabbing the phone off the receiver while Gar hopped over the back of the couch and grabbed a wireless controller, and Vic went to power on the machine.

"You looking forward to tonight, big buddy?" Gar asked as Vic took a seat next to him.

"Yeah, I just hope Kitten came down with a horrible, incurable, disease just for tonight, and misses. I'm sick of her messing with my girl," Vic said.

"Who do think is going to win prom king and queen?" Gar inquired.

"Probably Kitten and some unfortunate dude. I'd pity the poor guy who got stuck baby sitting that horny monster," Vic joked and he and Gar fell into laughter.

"I wonder what the girls are doing right now," Dick pondered aloud after reentering the room. He hopped over the back of the couch, grabbed a controller, and joined his friends.

"Probably sitting in a circle, painting their toes," Gar imitated a girls voice, "And talking about their feelings."

* * *

"Back the FUCK up with that Tara!" Raven demanded, ripping her converse from her foot and launching it at the blonde.

"Eep," Tara croaked just as the shoe was about to connect with her face, but Kori skillfully and sharply reached out and caught it, barely a centimeter from Tara's face.

"Whoa!" Raven shouted, taken aback, "How did you learn that, Kori?"

"Victor gave me the lessons of how to catch the ball," Kori replied, tossing the shoe over her shoulder, "And he also showed me how to take down the opponent."

Without warning, Kori charged Raven, tackled her, and pinned her down to the ground.

"Oh, my spine!" Raven groaned, "Get the hell off Kori!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that friend Raven," Kori refused, "Tara, bring the rollers, pins, and extensions." She smiled maliciously as Tara approached them, the torture devises in her hands.

"No!" Raven screamed.

Snip. Sizzle. Spray. Clamp. Snip. Sizzle. Spray. Clamp...

"NO! NNNOOOOOOOO!" Raven dramatically screeched.

Twenty minutes of a buckling Raven later...

"Aright," Kori finally let up off of Raven and she and Tara stood back, them both panting, and their clothes and not yet done hair were a mess.

Raven growled at the two girls and sharply turned and looked into her mirror. She gasped, horrified by what she saw. Her usually short black hair, was now at least four inches longer and pinned up in extra large rollers. She turned back around to Kori and Tara, "I'm going to kill you two," she hissed.

"Just wait until we do your makeup," Tara countered, "Kori, get her."

Raven made a beeline towards the open door, and she made it to the doorframe, but she was taken down by Kori, whom had used her as a landing spot.

Raven grabbed onto to carpet, but Kori pulled her by the legs back into the room. Kori picked up the petite girl and forced her into the chair where Tara was waiting to hold her down.

"When did you guys get so strong!" Raven strained under Terra's death grip.

"Being the captain of the team of the drill comes with it's responsibilities," Kori replied, organizing the next set of torture devises, "I show up at the gym of the workouts hours before everybody else, and I'm always the last to leave. That is what being the leader means. Working harder than everyone else."

"I didn't feel like I could defend myself, so I've been working out with Vic and Gar," Tara answered.

"I HATE THIS!" Raven whined.

Oh no, they were fixing Raven's...gulp...makeup...shivers.

"What kind of cruel and unusual punishment is this?" Raven shouted, pulling her head away from Kori, but Kori cupped her chin and held her head still while applying...gulp...concealer...gag.

"NOO! NOOO!"

Smear. Smudge. Powder.

Twenty minutes of a straggling Raven later

"Okay, just a little lipstick and...ow!" Kori screeched and pulled her hands away from Raven, "She bit me!"

"Toss me," Tara strained as Raven began to kick her feet and try to free her arms, "The lipstick...hurry...losing...strength."

The lipstick seemed to take a century as it soared through the air, and Tara's quick actions were slow and gradual. All in one motion, she snatched the lipstick from the air, and pulled her arms from around Raven. But before Raven could get up and make a run for it, Tara spun the chair Raven was sitting in. It whirled around, with Raven in it, at about fifty mph. Tara moved the lipstick ever so slowly towards Raven's blurred, spinning figure, and barely touched it to her lips, before sharply grabbing the armrest on the chair, and bringing Raven to a sickening, halting stop.

Raven's eyes bounced around in their sockets, and her head was hard to hold still. She collapsed onto floor at Kori's and Tara's feet, who had stood back and readied themselves to catch her.

"Alright," Tara clapped her hands together, excitedly, "Dress time," she sung.

"So exciting," Kori threw her head back and she and Tara each grabbed one of Raven's legs, and easily pulled her into the bathroom.

"Ugghhhh," Raven moaned, "I hate prom."

Tara and Kori slammed the bathroom door shut behind them.

Rip! Snatch! Screams! Zip! Panting! Clip, clop, clang!

"What kind of torture is this!" Raven screamed as Kori and Tara exited the bathroom, now finished with Raven.

They stood back and waited for Raven to emerged for the bathroom.

Coughing and muttering death threats, a now completely, sexy, hot, and drop dead gorgeous Raven, clung to the doorframe.

Kori and Tara smiled and exchanged impressed looks, "Our work, is done," they said together and did their handshake that ended with a snap, snap, snap, hair flip, and a "Boom."

They giggled, and Tara looked at the clock on the stereo, "Shit. Kori, we'd better get ready, they guys will be here in less than an hour."

* * *

Ding Dong! The doorbell to Raven's apartment sounded, and Kori and Tara screamed "They're here! They're here! They're here!" and jumped up and down uncontrollably.

"Let's get this over with," Raven muttered, "You guys go first, I'd like to savor my dignity while I still have it."

Tara rolled her eyes, and she and Kori strolled passed Raven and went to the staircase.

Nick had opened the door, and he, and the three well dressed boys, stood in the living room, waiting for their three goddesses to emerge from the shadows.

Tara and Kori waltzed on the staircase, each of them looking completely stunning.

"Wow," Dick smiled when he saw the two young ladies.

"I've died and gone to Heaven," Gar almost lost consciousness when he saw Tara. She was fancied up in a bright pink corset, that had a skirt of darker pink feathers attached to it that stopped above her knees. The corset was made up of pink and white beads and sequins, and the top and bottom were trimmed in hot pink and white lace. The dress had straps of dark pink sequins, and she was wearing white boots. Her long blonde hair was pulled back, with a braid on the side into a loose, curly chignon.

Vic, on the other hand, did lose consciousness when he saw Kori. She was dolled up in a cheetah print corset with a waterfall of black beads for a skirt, that stopped a few inches above her knees, and matching cheetah pumps. Her fiery red hair, was now in tight spiral curls. The top was loosely pulled back into a flock of curls, her side bangs were straight, and a waterfall of red curls fell down her right shoulder.

Dick pulled Vic back up onto his feet, and Vic faked it off and brushed his shoulder.

Gar handed Tara a small gift box when she reached the bottom, and Vic did the same to Kori. They each pulled out a clip with two feathers, Kori's were black and Tara's were white.

"We figured a corsage wasn't fitting," Vic explained as Kori and Tara put the feather's in each others hair.

"You two look amazing," Dick complimented.

"I agree," Nick put in.

"Thanks Nick, Rich," Tara said, locking her fingers with Gar's.

"But wait until you see what Tara and I worked so hard to achieve. Our blood, sweat, and tears went into preparing friend Raven for tonight," Kori explained, "May we all turn very cliche like towards the staircase and act like we are surprised and didn't know that Raven would be momentarily standing there." Kori interlaced her fingers with Vic's, and with chuckles and giggles, everyone turned towards the staircase to see a girl who they thought was Raven, and this time, mouths were dropped, words were lost, and time stopped.

* * *

End chapter

Aren't I so mean! Ha ha ha! A cliff hanger! Next chapter will be the prom, I promise.

Well, please review, tell me what you think.

Again, sorry about the long update, expect one sooner this time, I've finally gotten the muse to keep this story going.

Well, until next time

Cya~ GothicPrincess


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